P83 · Packing and covering · Classic

Equilateral triangles in a square

VERIFIED CONSTRUCTIONVERIFIED CONSTRUCTION
n = 6Current record · open

Pack n unit-side equilateral triangles into a square. Contact is allowed; interiors cannot overlap. Minimise the container square side.

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-piece scale. Boundary contact is allowed.
  • SubmissionSubmit {radius, placements:[{x,y,turn},…]}, with each value written as a decimal string of at most nine places. Here x, y are centre coordinates; circles require turn = 0 and polygons use turn = tan(θ/2). Coordinates and turn must lie in [−4, 4], with 0 < radius ≤ 4.
  • ConstraintsExactly n congruent pieces lie wholly inside the container with pairwise disjoint interiors. Polygons may rotate independently by arbitrary angles.
  • PrecisionInput decimals are parsed as exact rationals and regular-polygon vertices are defined algebraically, with zero floating-point tolerance in feasibility checks.
  • ObjectiveContainer square side = 1/(2 sin(π/3) r), where smaller is better. Pages, leaderboards, and literature records share this unit with automatic conversion.

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
ONE LEADERBOARD PER n

Current best solutions by n

Each parameter n is an independently scored sub-problem. Select any card to inspect the current record construction or submit a stronger solution.

Discussion (1) ↓
n3
CURRENT RECORD1.478397843best known [1.478, 1.479)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceErich Friedman
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n4
CURRENT RECORD1.577350273best known [1.577, 1.578)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceErich Friedman
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n5
CURRENT RECORD1.803169105best known [1.803, 1.804)
Matches the best known
Record holderNUE_13
Solution methodAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
n6
CURRENT RECORD1.901923794best known [1.901, 1.902)
Matches the best known
Record holdercondor
Solution methodAI · OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Sol
n7
CURRENT RECORD2.000000005best known 2
Hard
Record holder邱仲普
Solution methodAI · OpenAI: GPT-5.6 Sol
n8
CURRENT RECORD2.098076219best known [2.098, 2.099)
Matches the best known
Record holderNUE_13
Solution methodAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
n9
CURRENT RECORD2.287509492best known [2.287, 2.288)
Matches the best known
Record holderNUE_13
Solution methodAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
n10
CURRENT RECORD2.377022803best known [2.377, 2.378)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceDavid W. Cantrell
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n11
CURRENT RECORD2.490959084best known [2.49, 2.491)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceMaurizio Morandi
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n12
CURRENT RECORD2.558918803best known [2.558, 2.559)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceDominik Kamp
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n13
CURRENT RECORD2.59521086best known [2.595, 2.596)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceDavid W. Cantrell
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n14
CURRENT RECORD2.726023077best known [2.726, 2.727)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceDavid W. Cantrell
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n15
CURRENT RECORD2.829898058best known [2.82989, 2.8299)
Matches the best known
Record holderNUE_13
Solution methodAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
n16
CURRENT RECORD2.900039516best known [2.9, 2.9001)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceIan Watson
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n17
CURRENT RECORD2.982624084best known [2.982, 2.983)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceMaurizio Morandi
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n18
CURRENT RECORD3.051402508best known [3.051, 3.052)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceMaurizio Morandi
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n19
CURRENT RECORD3.129293565best known [3.12929, 3.1293)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceJake Loyd
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n20
CURRENT RECORD3.230547721best known [3.2305, 3.2306)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceIan Watson
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n21
CURRENT RECORD3.31102025best known [3.31102, 3.31103)
Matches the best known
Answer sourceThomas Schadt
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n22
CURRENT RECORD3.375775108best known [3.3757, 3.3758)
Matches the best known
Answer source22. Found by Ian Watson
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n23
CURRENT RECORD3.431153865best known [3.4311, 3.4312)
Matches the best known
Record holderNUE_13
Solution methodAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
n24
CURRENT RECORD3.467807474best known [3.4678, 3.46781)
Matches the best known
Answer source24. Found by Thomas Schadt
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n25
CURRENT RECORD3.537363534best known [3.537, 3.538)
Matches the best known
Answer source25. Found by David W. Cantrell
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n26
CURRENT RECORD3.577046309best known [3.575, 3.576)
Hard
Record holderzzzcy
Solution methodAI · OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra
n27
CURRENT RECORD3.672637086best known [3.6726, 3.6727)
Matches the best known
Answer source27. Found by Ian Watson
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n28
CURRENT RECORD3.757072811best known [3.75707, 3.75708)
Matches the best known
Answer source28. Found by Jake Loyd
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n29
CURRENT RECORD3.817113199best known [3.81711, 3.81712)
Matches the best known
Answer source29. Found by Jake Loyd
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n30
CURRENT RECORD3.866192252best known [3.86619, 3.8662)
Matches the best known
Answer source30. Found by Jake Loyd
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n31
CURRENT RECORD3.931078147best known [3.93107, 3.93108)
Matches the best known
Answer source31. Found by Jake Loyd
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n32
CURRENT RECORD3.978800452best known [3.9788, 3.97881)
Matches the best known
Answer source32. Found by Jake Loyd
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n33
CURRENT RECORD4.051645095best known [4.05164, 4.05165)
Matches the best known
Record holderNUE_13
Solution methodAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
n34
CURRENT RECORD4.090886273best known [4.09088, 4.09089)
Matches the best known
Answer source34. Found by Jake Loyd
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n35
CURRENT RECORD4.141233485best known [4.14123, 4.14124)
Matches the best known
Answer source35. Found by Jake Loyd
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n36
CURRENT RECORD4.207918412best known [4.20791, 4.20792)
Matches the best known
Record holderNUE_13
Solution methodAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
n37
CURRENT RECORD4.26872002best known [4.26871, 4.26872)
Hard
Record holderNUE_13
Solution methodAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
n38
CURRENT RECORD4.320080025best known [4.32007, 4.32008)
Hard
Record holderNUE_13
Solution methodAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
n39
CURRENT RECORD4.36792619best known [4.36792, 4.36793)
Matches the best known
Answer source39. Found by Jake Loyd
Solution methodPublished reference construction
n40
CURRENT RECORD4.410574386best known [4.41057, 4.41058)
Matches the best known
Record holderNUE_13
Solution methodAI · DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash

Data and citation

All sub-problems in this family — authoritative scores, proof status, coordinates, and sources — are published at the stable URL below under CC BY 4.0. Because scores update as records fall, please cite the file's generatedAt timestamp.

GET https://minmaxarena.com/data/triangles-in-square.json

Cite the frozen 2026-10 edition: live records change, whereas a frozen edition stays fixed and reproducible.

GET https://minmaxarena.com/data/editions/2026-10/triangles-in-square.json
BibTeX (click to copy)
@misc{minmaxarena-triangles-in-square-2026-10,
  title  = {{Equilateral triangles in a square} (P83)},
  author = {{MinMax Arena}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {Machine-verified records, 2026-10 edition},
  url    = {https://minmaxarena.com/data/editions/2026-10/triangles-in-square.json},
  license = {CC BY 4.0}
}
DISCUSSION

Discussion

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