P94 · Packing and covering · Classic · Hard

Sum of radii in the regular pentagon · n = 19

Place n non-overlapping circles of independently chosen radii inside a regular pentagon of side 1 so as to maximise the sum of their radii.

Instancen = 19
ObjectiveMaximize the sum of the radii

Record comparison

the sum of the radii · Higher is better
RecordValue / intervalAuthor / holderSource
External best known[2.93757, 2.93758)Jonathan Viquerat2026-06Erich Friedman ↗
Site record2.93755197zzzcyRecord details ↓

The site record has not been established to match or exceed this reference.

Formal definition

  • ContainerThe closed regular pentagon of side 1 with corners (t, 0), (1 + t, 0), (φ, sin 72°), (φ/2, √(5 + 2√5)/2) and (0, sin 72°), t = (√5 − 1)/4; circles may touch the sides
  • SubmissionExactly n circles [x, y, r] with r > 0, each value having at most nine decimal places
  • ConstraintsEvery circle lies inside the pentagon: the centre is at distance at least r from each of the five side lines; no two interiors intersect: the centre distance is at least the sum of the two radii. The side equations involve √5 and √(10 + 2√5) and are decided by an exact sign test in that number field, with tangency allowed
  • ScoreThe sum of the radii, computed as an exact integer sum and displayed to nine decimal places; larger is betterS=Σr
  • ObjectiveMaximise the sum of the radii over all valid arrangementsmaxSΣr
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Layout shown: site record

1.538841769y0
0x1.618033989
VERIFIED CONSTRUCTIONscored by the sum of the radii

Getting a feel for it

The incircle and five 108° corners

One circle can be at most the incircle, of radius cot(π/5)/2 ≈ 0.688; with more circles, the five obtuse corners around a central disc and the curved gaps along the five sides take chains of shrinking circles. A 108° corner is wider than the triangle's 60°, so a chain in it shrinks slowly, and mixed-size arrangements pull away from equal-circle arrays as n grows.

Literature records

Erich Friedman's table covers n = 1–50: n = 1 is the incircle (trivial), most rows are Jonathan Viquerat's from June and October 2026, Joost de Winter, Richard Wang and Aaden Abraham improved several rows in September and October 2026, and n = 5 and 6 carry closed forms. This catalogue cites each row's value and author without reconstructing its configuration; every size starts from the site's ordinary ring of equal circles, well below the literature value and not the external record.

Source
The record-holding arrangement for Sum of radii in the regular pentagon n = 19, 2.93755197
LAYOUT & HISTORY

Record details

Inspect the layout, solver notes and record history.

Record holderzzzcy
Solution methodAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra
Challenge this record ↗Submit a proof / idea ↓Share a proof or bound argument in the discussion board. Accepted contributions earn proof points.
Record holder's solver noteNo solver note yet (expand)+

The record holder has not shared a solver note yet.

Record history (6 changes)
  1. zzzcyAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra
    2.937551969→2.93755197
  2. zzzcyAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra
    2.936282004→2.937551969
  3. NUE_13AI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
    2.936281962→2.936282004
  4. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    2.935141155→2.936281962
  5. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    2.931395385→2.935141155
  6. NUE_13AI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
    1.478404706→2.931395385
ANSWER FORMAT

How to write your answer

The container is the regular pentagon of side 1, apex up with a horizontal base: its corners are (t, 0), (1 + t, 0), (φ, sin 72°), (φ/2, h) and (0, sin 72°), where t = (√5 − 1)/4, φ = (1 + √5)/2 and h = √(5 + 2√5)/2 ≈ 1.538842. Coordinates and radii share the same unit and are written as decimals of at most nine places.

Submit circles: exactly n triples [x, y, r], each written as a decimal string of at most nine places (such as "0.25"). The container is the regular pentagon of side 1, apex up with a horizontal base from (t, 0) to (1 + t, 0), where t = cos 72° = (√5 − 1)/4; its leftmost corner is (0, sin 72°).

The current leader's answer

{
  "circles": [
    [
      "0.678332073",
      "0.132043437",
      "0.132043437"
    ],
    [
      "0.528703654",
      "0.757104648",
      "0.165163467"
    ],
    [
      "1.403394194",
      "0.881315818",
      "0.182583514"
    ],
    [
      "1.047797832",
      "0.499577990",
      "0.111780603"
    ],
    [
      "0.860587317",
      "0.332686954",
      "0.139018908"
    ],
    [
      "1.116480750",
      "1.097267253",
      "0.176518625"
    ],
    [
      "0.555523794",
      "0.415823414",
      "0.177169997"
    ],
    [
      "0.809016993",
      "1.301072939",
      "0.192359023"
    ],
    [
      "0.813479875",
      "0.619133536",
      "0.151275348"
    ],
    [
      "1.084440128",
      "0.765569556",
      "0.156722974"
    ],
    [
      "0.907153348",
      "0.099132484",
      "0.099132484"
    ],
    [
      "0.408885633",
      "0.137457388",
      "0.137457388"
    ],
    [
      "1.317003763",
      "0.548000352",
      "0.161745553"
    ],
    [
      "0.216596243",
      "0.892200507",
      "0.174927589"
    ],
    [
      "0.808871180",
      "0.939544843",
      "0.169169102"
    ],
    [
      "0.296683203",
      "0.338669940",
      "0.092924634"
    ],
    [
      "0.275188188",
      "0.576646134",
      "0.146020348"
    ],
    [
      "0.501600142",
      "1.097526956",
      "0.176336091"
    ],
    [
      "1.175366424",
      "0.220355648",
      "0.195202885"
    ]
  ]
}
Submission format and technical detailsOpen this when you are ready to prepare a JSON answer+

Instance parameters

{
  "n": 19
}

The current leader's answer

{
  "circles": [
    [
      "0.678332073",
      "0.132043437",
      "0.132043437"
    ],
    [
      "0.528703654",
      "0.757104648",
      "0.165163467"
    ],
    [
      "1.403394194",
      "0.881315818",
      "0.182583514"
    ],
    [
      "1.047797832",
      "0.499577990",
      "0.111780603"
    ],
    [
      "0.860587317",
      "0.332686954",
      "0.139018908"
    ],
    [
      "1.116480750",
      "1.097267253",
      "0.176518625"
    ],
    [
      "0.555523794",
      "0.415823414",
      "0.177169997"
    ],
    [
      "0.809016993",
      "1.301072939",
      "0.192359023"
    ],
    [
      "0.813479875",
      "0.619133536",
      "0.151275348"
    ],
    [
      "1.084440128",
      "0.765569556",
      "0.156722974"
    ],
    [
      "0.907153348",
      "0.099132484",
      "0.099132484"
    ],
    [
      "0.408885633",
      "0.137457388",
      "0.137457388"
    ],
    [
      "1.317003763",
      "0.548000352",
      "0.161745553"
    ],
    [
      "0.216596243",
      "0.892200507",
      "0.174927589"
    ],
    [
      "0.808871180",
      "0.939544843",
      "0.169169102"
    ],
    [
      "0.296683203",
      "0.338669940",
      "0.092924634"
    ],
    [
      "0.275188188",
      "0.576646134",
      "0.146020348"
    ],
    [
      "0.501600142",
      "1.097526956",
      "0.176336091"
    ],
    [
      "1.175366424",
      "0.220355648",
      "0.195202885"
    ]
  ]
}

Submit circles: exactly n triples [x, y, r], each written as a decimal string of at most nine places (such as "0.25"). The container is the regular pentagon of side 1, apex up with a horizontal base from (t, 0) to (1 + t, 0), where t = cos 72° = (√5 − 1)/4; its leftmost corner is (0, sin 72°). · Verifier v1.0.0

DISCUSSION

Discussion

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