On a square packing conjecture of Erdős
Abstract
Let $f(n)$ be the maximum sum of the sides of non-overlapping squares (or equilateral triangles) packed inside a unit square or (unit equilateral triangle). In this paper, we explore some properties of $f$ and examine how the square and triangle cases are similar. We prove that a conjecture of Erdős, which says that $f(k^2+1) = k$ for all $k$, is equivalent to the convergence of the series $\sum_{k\geqslant 1}(f(k^2+1)-k)$. We also explore the case of parallelograms and discuss how that is similar to the case of unit square and triangle.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Optimization and Packing Problems
Advanced Combinatorial Mathematics
Analytic Number Theory Research
Publication details
- Journal / source
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Publication date
- 10 January 2026
- Document type
- Preprint