P94 · Packing and covering · Classic · Hard

Sum of radii in the regular pentagon · n = 43

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 = 43
ObjectiveMaximize the sum of the radii

Record comparison

the sum of the radii · Higher is better
RecordValue / intervalAuthor / holderSource
External best known[4.49633, 4.49634)Richard Wang2026-10Erich Friedman ↗
Site record4.497460336zzzcyRecord details ↓

Exceeds the published reference · verified. Review evidence ↗

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 = 43, 4.497460336
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
    4.497460335→4.497460336
  2. qiboqiAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
    4.497460334→4.497460335
  3. qiboqiAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
    4.497460333→4.497460334
  4. zzzcyAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra
    4.49633197→4.497460333
  5. NUE_13AI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
    4.496331884→4.49633197
  6. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    4.495536557→4.496331884
  7. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    4.490345403→4.495536557
  8. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    4.4870821→4.490345403
  9. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    4.480428544→4.4870821
  10. qiboqiAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Luna
    1.610514217→4.480428544
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": [
    [
      "1.497929855",
      "0.912032318",
      "0.102166678"
    ],
    [
      "1.329659088",
      "1.031659537",
      "0.104293300"
    ],
    [
      "0.974787767",
      "1.289488645",
      "0.104293299"
    ],
    [
      "0.809016994",
      "1.412556809",
      "0.102166678"
    ],
    [
      "1.145750600",
      "1.151665009",
      "0.115305528"
    ],
    [
      "1.331042097",
      "0.852274139",
      "0.075097429"
    ],
    [
      "0.803754743",
      "1.235370826",
      "0.075097429"
    ],
    [
      "1.442010226",
      "0.721445166",
      "0.096454737"
    ],
    [
      "0.645037958",
      "1.300479413",
      "0.096454737"
    ],
    [
      "1.129921072",
      "0.904237350",
      "0.132627971"
    ],
    [
      "0.915324508",
      "1.060150881",
      "0.132627970"
    ],
    [
      "1.242938492",
      "0.696086715",
      "0.104225621"
    ],
    [
      "0.682437187",
      "1.103314751",
      "0.104225621"
    ],
    [
      "1.372817319",
      "0.533211291",
      "0.104093636"
    ],
    [
      "0.487398689",
      "1.176505581",
      "0.104093636"
    ],
    [
      "0.917153310",
      "0.837027832",
      "0.090502573"
    ],
    [
      "1.030127968",
      "0.671364086",
      "0.110016129"
    ],
    [
      "0.724686637",
      "0.893280203",
      "0.110016128"
    ],
    [
      "1.163771180",
      "0.499564931",
      "0.107642911"
    ],
    [
      "0.519997908",
      "0.967293592",
      "0.107642911"
    ],
    [
      "1.301662290",
      "0.331792429",
      "0.109524238"
    ],
    [
      "0.317826080",
      "1.046591276",
      "0.109524238"
    ],
    [
      "0.782820906",
      "0.652135137",
      "0.138037364"
    ],
    [
      "0.948201684",
      "0.466724354",
      "0.110413758"
    ],
    [
      "0.555379301",
      "0.752126521",
      "0.110413759"
    ],
    [
      "1.086935125",
      "0.298288182",
      "0.107801070"
    ],
    [
      "0.352315991",
      "0.832020225",
      "0.107801070"
    ],
    [
      "0.138844142",
      "0.905943320",
      "0.118107881"
    ],
    [
      "0.739169215",
      "0.412505207",
      "0.105535979"
    ],
    [
      "0.568408415",
      "0.536570191",
      "0.105535978"
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    [
      "1.223206595",
      "0.118107881",
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      "0.387069076",
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    [
      "1.001244132",
      "0.104284605",
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    [
      "0.194287599",
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      "0.104284605"
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    [
      "0.715700033",
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      "0.072644039"
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      "0.803200295",
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    ],
    [
      "0.245728867",
      "0.499051513",
      "0.094024812"
    ],
    [
      "0.534452429",
      "0.310285255",
      "0.123282465"
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      "0.609303795",
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      "0.099962585"
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    [
      "0.311293339",
      "0.316479855",
      "0.099962585"
    ],
    [
      "0.393577737",
      "0.116387876",
      "0.116387876"
    ]
  ]
}
Submission format and technical detailsOpen this when you are ready to prepare a JSON answer+

Instance parameters

{
  "n": 43
}

The current leader's answer

{
  "circles": [
    [
      "1.497929855",
      "0.912032318",
      "0.102166678"
    ],
    [
      "1.329659088",
      "1.031659537",
      "0.104293300"
    ],
    [
      "0.974787767",
      "1.289488645",
      "0.104293299"
    ],
    [
      "0.809016994",
      "1.412556809",
      "0.102166678"
    ],
    [
      "1.145750600",
      "1.151665009",
      "0.115305528"
    ],
    [
      "1.331042097",
      "0.852274139",
      "0.075097429"
    ],
    [
      "0.803754743",
      "1.235370826",
      "0.075097429"
    ],
    [
      "1.442010226",
      "0.721445166",
      "0.096454737"
    ],
    [
      "0.645037958",
      "1.300479413",
      "0.096454737"
    ],
    [
      "1.129921072",
      "0.904237350",
      "0.132627971"
    ],
    [
      "0.915324508",
      "1.060150881",
      "0.132627970"
    ],
    [
      "1.242938492",
      "0.696086715",
      "0.104225621"
    ],
    [
      "0.682437187",
      "1.103314751",
      "0.104225621"
    ],
    [
      "1.372817319",
      "0.533211291",
      "0.104093636"
    ],
    [
      "0.487398689",
      "1.176505581",
      "0.104093636"
    ],
    [
      "0.917153310",
      "0.837027832",
      "0.090502573"
    ],
    [
      "1.030127968",
      "0.671364086",
      "0.110016129"
    ],
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      "0.724686637",
      "0.893280203",
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    ],
    [
      "1.163771180",
      "0.499564931",
      "0.107642911"
    ],
    [
      "0.519997908",
      "0.967293592",
      "0.107642911"
    ],
    [
      "1.301662290",
      "0.331792429",
      "0.109524238"
    ],
    [
      "0.317826080",
      "1.046591276",
      "0.109524238"
    ],
    [
      "0.782820906",
      "0.652135137",
      "0.138037364"
    ],
    [
      "0.948201684",
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    [
      "0.555379301",
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    [
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      "0.105535979"
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      "0.094024811",
      "0.094024811"
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      "0.245728867",
      "0.499051513",
      "0.094024812"
    ],
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      "0.534452429",
      "0.310285255",
      "0.123282465"
    ],
    [
      "0.609303795",
      "0.099962585",
      "0.099962585"
    ],
    [
      "0.311293339",
      "0.316479855",
      "0.099962585"
    ],
    [
      "0.393577737",
      "0.116387876",
      "0.116387876"
    ]
  ]
}

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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