P94 · Packing and covering · Classic · Hard

Sum of radii in the regular pentagon · n = 35

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 = 35
ObjectiveMaximize the sum of the radii

Record comparison

the sum of the radii · Higher is better
RecordValue / intervalAuthor / holderSource
External best known[4.03575, 4.03576)Joost de Winter2026-10Erich Friedman ↗
Site record4.035752882zzzcyRecord 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 = 35, 4.035752882
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 (10 changes)
  1. zzzcyAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra
    4.035752881→4.035752882
  2. zzzcyAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra
    4.03575288→4.035752881
  3. qiboqiAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
    4.035752879→4.03575288
  4. zzzcyAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra
    4.035208004→4.035752879
  5. NUE_13AI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
    4.035207915→4.035208004
  6. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    4.033845349→4.035207915
  7. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    4.025925211→4.033845349
  8. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    4.025924594→4.025925211
  9. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    4.016341456→4.025924594
  10. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    1.585195115→4.016341456
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": [
    [
      "0.701398848",
      "0.476746871",
      "0.139152174"
    ],
    [
      "0.823760596",
      "1.356966953",
      "0.138473745"
    ],
    [
      "0.162980413",
      "0.898100970",
      "0.138639420"
    ],
    [
      "1.125512647",
      "0.332185565",
      "0.136317827"
    ],
    [
      "1.459612292",
      "0.899582188",
      "0.134761543"
    ],
    [
      "0.591417112",
      "1.215976341",
      "0.133301616"
    ],
    [
      "0.376289109",
      "1.062744672",
      "0.130819572"
    ],
    [
      "0.485383251",
      "0.317735489",
      "0.129077872"
    ],
    [
      "1.045425414",
      "1.208408606",
      "0.128368661"
    ],
    [
      "1.252779740",
      "1.059693628",
      "0.126801791"
    ],
    [
      "0.411209168",
      "0.809337358",
      "0.124982455"
    ],
    [
      "0.819219524",
      "1.092918491",
      "0.125613762"
    ],
    [
      "0.608746603",
      "0.959879965",
      "0.123380414"
    ],
    [
      "0.456600963",
      "0.566861623",
      "0.121705398"
    ],
    [
      "0.226751942",
      "0.646012559",
      "0.121390145"
    ],
    [
      "1.218510792",
      "0.814291725",
      "0.120981289"
    ],
    [
      "1.026442870",
      "0.960413556",
      "0.120351828"
    ],
    [
      "1.396738951",
      "0.654056879",
      "0.118686152"
    ],
    [
      "1.172858911",
      "0.580884881",
      "0.116848163"
    ],
    [
      "0.635393414",
      "0.722591778",
      "0.115399266"
    ],
    [
      "0.952099577",
      "0.512901008",
      "0.114142076"
    ],
    [
      "1.007153660",
      "0.112884506",
      "0.112884506"
    ],
    [
      "0.878950029",
      "0.298325961",
      "0.112558844"
    ],
    [
      "0.819421620",
      "0.855625959",
      "0.111678856"
    ],
    [
      "1.002946742",
      "0.731231680",
      "0.110031331"
    ],
    [
      "1.229482202",
      "0.109470250",
      "0.109470250"
    ],
    [
      "0.385639534",
      "0.105461878",
      "0.105461878"
    ],
    [
      "0.279565417",
      "0.426968866",
      "0.103930521"
    ],
    [
      "1.341642355",
      "0.437972056",
      "0.104312246"
    ],
    [
      "0.792587384",
      "0.101959711",
      "0.101959711"
    ],
    [
      "0.590831338",
      "0.099807810",
      "0.099807810"
    ],
    [
      "0.688104381",
      "0.254806651",
      "0.083185866"
    ],
    [
      "0.823555300",
      "0.661585921",
      "0.082405207"
    ],
    [
      "1.320868974",
      "0.264450920",
      "0.070447926"
    ],
    [
      "0.297913107",
      "0.255594958",
      "0.068422761"
    ]
  ]
}
Submission format and technical detailsOpen this when you are ready to prepare a JSON answer+

Instance parameters

{
  "n": 35
}

The current leader's answer

{
  "circles": [
    [
      "0.701398848",
      "0.476746871",
      "0.139152174"
    ],
    [
      "0.823760596",
      "1.356966953",
      "0.138473745"
    ],
    [
      "0.162980413",
      "0.898100970",
      "0.138639420"
    ],
    [
      "1.125512647",
      "0.332185565",
      "0.136317827"
    ],
    [
      "1.459612292",
      "0.899582188",
      "0.134761543"
    ],
    [
      "0.591417112",
      "1.215976341",
      "0.133301616"
    ],
    [
      "0.376289109",
      "1.062744672",
      "0.130819572"
    ],
    [
      "0.485383251",
      "0.317735489",
      "0.129077872"
    ],
    [
      "1.045425414",
      "1.208408606",
      "0.128368661"
    ],
    [
      "1.252779740",
      "1.059693628",
      "0.126801791"
    ],
    [
      "0.411209168",
      "0.809337358",
      "0.124982455"
    ],
    [
      "0.819219524",
      "1.092918491",
      "0.125613762"
    ],
    [
      "0.608746603",
      "0.959879965",
      "0.123380414"
    ],
    [
      "0.456600963",
      "0.566861623",
      "0.121705398"
    ],
    [
      "0.226751942",
      "0.646012559",
      "0.121390145"
    ],
    [
      "1.218510792",
      "0.814291725",
      "0.120981289"
    ],
    [
      "1.026442870",
      "0.960413556",
      "0.120351828"
    ],
    [
      "1.396738951",
      "0.654056879",
      "0.118686152"
    ],
    [
      "1.172858911",
      "0.580884881",
      "0.116848163"
    ],
    [
      "0.635393414",
      "0.722591778",
      "0.115399266"
    ],
    [
      "0.952099577",
      "0.512901008",
      "0.114142076"
    ],
    [
      "1.007153660",
      "0.112884506",
      "0.112884506"
    ],
    [
      "0.878950029",
      "0.298325961",
      "0.112558844"
    ],
    [
      "0.819421620",
      "0.855625959",
      "0.111678856"
    ],
    [
      "1.002946742",
      "0.731231680",
      "0.110031331"
    ],
    [
      "1.229482202",
      "0.109470250",
      "0.109470250"
    ],
    [
      "0.385639534",
      "0.105461878",
      "0.105461878"
    ],
    [
      "0.279565417",
      "0.426968866",
      "0.103930521"
    ],
    [
      "1.341642355",
      "0.437972056",
      "0.104312246"
    ],
    [
      "0.792587384",
      "0.101959711",
      "0.101959711"
    ],
    [
      "0.590831338",
      "0.099807810",
      "0.099807810"
    ],
    [
      "0.688104381",
      "0.254806651",
      "0.083185866"
    ],
    [
      "0.823555300",
      "0.661585921",
      "0.082405207"
    ],
    [
      "1.320868974",
      "0.264450920",
      "0.070447926"
    ],
    [
      "0.297913107",
      "0.255594958",
      "0.068422761"
    ]
  ]
}

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

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