P91 · Packing and covering · Classic · Hard

L's in a square · n = 28

Pack n L-trominoes (three unit cells) into a square. Contact is allowed; interiors cannot overlap. Minimise the container square side.

Instancen = 28
ObjectiveMinimize container square side

Record comparison

container square side · Lower is better
RecordValue / intervalAuthor / holderSource
External best known[9.79450, 9.79451)Joshua Wolk2026-09Erich Friedman ↗
Site record9.794501371zzzcyRecord details ↓

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

Formal definition

  • ContainerThe editor and certificate normalise the container to the unit square [0,1]², while public scores are reported in the literature's unit-cell L-tromino scale. Boundary contact is allowed.
  • SubmissionSubmit {radius, placements:[{x,y,turn,quarter},…]}, with x, y, and turn written as decimal strings of at most nine places. Here radius is the unit-cell side of each L-tromino inside the unit-square container, so the container side length is 1/radius. The coordinates x, y specify the centre of the piece's 2 × 2 bounding box; quarter is an integer in 0–3 specifying an exact multiple of 90° applied before the rational rotation turn = tan(θ/2). Coordinates and turn must lie in [−4, 4], with 0 < radius ≤ 4.
  • ConstraintsExactly n congruent L-trominoes lie wholly inside the container with pairwise disjoint interiors. Pieces may rotate independently by arbitrary angles.
  • PrecisionInput decimals are parsed as exact rationals, with zero floating-point tolerance in feasibility checks.
  • ObjectiveContainer square side = 1/r (where r is the tromino's cell side inside the unit square), where smaller is better. Pages, leaderboards, and literature records share this unit with automatic conversion.
Open full editor ↗

Layout shown: site record

VERIFIED CONSTRUCTIONVERIFIED CONSTRUCTION

Getting a feel for it

Literature targets and coordinate certificates

Literature targets are converted at their published precision, while nine-decimal coordinate certificates are stored and displayed alongside the source values.

Source
The record-holding arrangement for L's in a square n = 28, 9.794501371
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 (1 changes)
  1. zzzcyAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra
    10→9.794501371
ANSWER FORMAT

How to write your answer

the unit square [0,1]²

Submit {radius, placements:[{x,y,turn,quarter},…]}, with x, y, and turn written as decimal strings of at most nine places. Here radius is the unit-cell side of each L-tromino inside the unit-square container, so the container side length is 1/radius. The coordinates x, y specify the centre of the piece's 2 × 2 bounding box; quarter is an integer in 0–3 specifying an exact multiple of 90° applied before the rational rotation turn = tan(θ/2). Coordinates and turn must lie in [−4, 4], with 0 < radius ≤ 4.

The current leader's answer

{
  "placements": [
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "-0.408650883",
      "x": "0.927039829",
      "y": "0.240352942"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 2,
      "turn": "-0.414213562",
      "x": "0.486045719",
      "y": "0.654879038"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "-0.414213562",
      "x": "0.237563814",
      "y": "0.927805739"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 2,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.795803794",
      "y": "0.795803794"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 3,
      "turn": "0.230919940",
      "x": "0.397748716",
      "y": "0.760080581"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.306425063",
      "y": "0.510490515"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.510724107",
      "y": "0.204196206"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.408536796",
      "y": "0.408392412"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 3,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.102098123",
      "y": "0.408392412"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 3,
      "turn": "-0.265102542",
      "x": "0.650418270",
      "y": "0.497275441"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "-0.253981843",
      "x": "0.757392247",
      "y": "0.399572737"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.102171145",
      "y": "0.306294309"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.897901897",
      "y": "0.693654435"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 3,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.102098103",
      "y": "0.612588619"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.612956440",
      "y": "0.102098103"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 3,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.693705691",
      "y": "0.897901897"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.408581701",
      "y": "0.102098103"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 3,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.102132581",
      "y": "0.102098103"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "-0.000376762",
      "x": "0.612978580",
      "y": "0.306446148"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 2,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.693705691",
      "y": "0.693705691"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.204196206",
      "y": "0.612588619"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.306423413",
      "y": "0.306294309"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.102098103",
      "y": "0.816784825"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.204298438",
      "y": "0.102098103"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 2,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.897901897",
      "y": "0.897901897"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 2,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.489509485",
      "y": "0.897901897"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 2,
      "turn": "-0.006906592",
      "x": "0.896493491",
      "y": "0.488049725"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "0.002815817",
      "x": "0.817852251",
      "y": "0.102914311"
    }
  ],
  "radius": "0.102098102"
}
Submission format and technical detailsOpen this when you are ready to prepare a JSON answer+

Instance parameters

{
  "n": 28,
  "sides": 5
}

The current leader's answer

{
  "placements": [
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "-0.408650883",
      "x": "0.927039829",
      "y": "0.240352942"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 2,
      "turn": "-0.414213562",
      "x": "0.486045719",
      "y": "0.654879038"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "-0.414213562",
      "x": "0.237563814",
      "y": "0.927805739"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 2,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.795803794",
      "y": "0.795803794"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 3,
      "turn": "0.230919940",
      "x": "0.397748716",
      "y": "0.760080581"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.306425063",
      "y": "0.510490515"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.510724107",
      "y": "0.204196206"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.408536796",
      "y": "0.408392412"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 3,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.102098123",
      "y": "0.408392412"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 3,
      "turn": "-0.265102542",
      "x": "0.650418270",
      "y": "0.497275441"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "-0.253981843",
      "x": "0.757392247",
      "y": "0.399572737"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.102171145",
      "y": "0.306294309"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.897901897",
      "y": "0.693654435"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 3,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.102098103",
      "y": "0.612588619"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.612956440",
      "y": "0.102098103"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 3,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.693705691",
      "y": "0.897901897"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.408581701",
      "y": "0.102098103"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 3,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.102132581",
      "y": "0.102098103"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "-0.000376762",
      "x": "0.612978580",
      "y": "0.306446148"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 2,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.693705691",
      "y": "0.693705691"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.204196206",
      "y": "0.612588619"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.306423413",
      "y": "0.306294309"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.102098103",
      "y": "0.816784825"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 1,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.204298438",
      "y": "0.102098103"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 2,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.897901897",
      "y": "0.897901897"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 2,
      "turn": "0.000000000",
      "x": "0.489509485",
      "y": "0.897901897"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 2,
      "turn": "-0.006906592",
      "x": "0.896493491",
      "y": "0.488049725"
    },
    {
      "quarter": 0,
      "turn": "0.002815817",
      "x": "0.817852251",
      "y": "0.102914311"
    }
  ],
  "radius": "0.102098102"
}

Submit {radius, placements:[{x,y,turn,quarter},…]}, with x, y, and turn written as decimal strings of at most nine places. Here radius is the unit-cell side of each L-tromino inside the unit-square container, so the container side length is 1/radius. The coordinates x, y specify the centre of the piece's 2 × 2 bounding box; quarter is an integer in 0–3 specifying an exact multiple of 90° applied before the rational rotation turn = tan(θ/2). Coordinates and turn must lie in [−4, 4], with 0 < radius ≤ 4. · Verifier v1.0.0

DISCUSSION

Discussion

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