P94 · Packing and covering · Classic · Hard

Sum of radii in the regular pentagon · n = 22

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 = 22
ObjectiveMaximize the sum of the radii

Record comparison

the sum of the radii · Higher is better
RecordValue / intervalAuthor / holderSource
External best known[3.16566, 3.16567)Aaden Abraham2026-10Erich Friedman ↗
Site record3.165662697zzzcyRecord details ↓

Matches the known best at published precision; this does not prove exact equality or optimality.

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
Open full editor ↗

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 = 22, 3.165662697
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 (5 changes)
  1. zzzcyAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra
    3.165662692→3.165662697
  2. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    3.162517411→3.165662692
  3. NUE_13AI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
    3.162517367→3.162517411
  4. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    3.160356957→3.162517367
  5. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    1.508988712→3.160356957
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": [
    [
      "0.426568214",
      "0.161795373",
      "0.161795373"
    ],
    [
      "1.201220628",
      "0.148368969",
      "0.148368969"
    ],
    [
      "0.174418184",
      "0.894384613",
      "0.148368969"
    ],
    [
      "1.508834145",
      "0.915575337",
      "0.092890934"
    ],
    [
      "0.809016994",
      "1.424022258",
      "0.092890935"
    ],
    [
      "0.729824774",
      "0.142100080",
      "0.142100079"
    ],
    [
      "0.314125446",
      "0.444123321",
      "0.142100079"
    ],
    [
      "1.290035970",
      "0.436187502",
      "0.152841377"
    ],
    [
      "0.420704426",
      "1.067793841",
      "0.152841377"
    ],
    [
      "0.197889135",
      "0.651508709",
      "0.095638388"
    ],
    [
      "0.962978994",
      "0.095638388",
      "0.095638388"
    ],
    [
      "1.252563010",
      "0.998475950",
      "0.176455323"
    ],
    [
      "0.967052299",
      "1.205911623",
      "0.176455323"
    ],
    [
      "0.652080643",
      "1.249837462",
      "0.141564522"
    ],
    [
      "1.391670559",
      "0.712493935",
      "0.141564523"
    ],
    [
      "0.616075888",
      "0.422630310",
      "0.160614339"
    ],
    [
      "1.105702841",
      "0.672849672",
      "0.147138097"
    ],
    [
      "0.702745595",
      "0.965615250",
      "0.147138098"
    ],
    [
      "0.465860052",
      "0.733416647",
      "0.184571038"
    ],
    [
      "0.958070505",
      "0.375804820",
      "0.184571038"
    ],
    [
      "0.966991520",
      "0.905624239",
      "0.123832066"
    ],
    [
      "0.802343742",
      "0.679006017",
      "0.156283462"
    ]
  ]
}
Submission format and technical detailsOpen this when you are ready to prepare a JSON answer+

Instance parameters

{
  "n": 22
}

The current leader's answer

{
  "circles": [
    [
      "0.426568214",
      "0.161795373",
      "0.161795373"
    ],
    [
      "1.201220628",
      "0.148368969",
      "0.148368969"
    ],
    [
      "0.174418184",
      "0.894384613",
      "0.148368969"
    ],
    [
      "1.508834145",
      "0.915575337",
      "0.092890934"
    ],
    [
      "0.809016994",
      "1.424022258",
      "0.092890935"
    ],
    [
      "0.729824774",
      "0.142100080",
      "0.142100079"
    ],
    [
      "0.314125446",
      "0.444123321",
      "0.142100079"
    ],
    [
      "1.290035970",
      "0.436187502",
      "0.152841377"
    ],
    [
      "0.420704426",
      "1.067793841",
      "0.152841377"
    ],
    [
      "0.197889135",
      "0.651508709",
      "0.095638388"
    ],
    [
      "0.962978994",
      "0.095638388",
      "0.095638388"
    ],
    [
      "1.252563010",
      "0.998475950",
      "0.176455323"
    ],
    [
      "0.967052299",
      "1.205911623",
      "0.176455323"
    ],
    [
      "0.652080643",
      "1.249837462",
      "0.141564522"
    ],
    [
      "1.391670559",
      "0.712493935",
      "0.141564523"
    ],
    [
      "0.616075888",
      "0.422630310",
      "0.160614339"
    ],
    [
      "1.105702841",
      "0.672849672",
      "0.147138097"
    ],
    [
      "0.702745595",
      "0.965615250",
      "0.147138098"
    ],
    [
      "0.465860052",
      "0.733416647",
      "0.184571038"
    ],
    [
      "0.958070505",
      "0.375804820",
      "0.184571038"
    ],
    [
      "0.966991520",
      "0.905624239",
      "0.123832066"
    ],
    [
      "0.802343742",
      "0.679006017",
      "0.156283462"
    ]
  ]
}

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

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