DIMACS - RUTGERS EXPERIMENTAL MATHEMATICS SEMINAR

Sponsored by the Rutgers University Department of Mathematics and the
Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS)

Co-organizers:

Doron Zeilberger, Rutgers University, zeilberg {at} math [dot] rutgers [dot] edu

Bryan Ek, Rutgers University, bryan [dot] t [dot] ek {at} math [dot] rutgers [dot] edu

Title: Computer-assisted Explorations and Proofs in the Moving Sofa Problem

Speaker: Dan Romik, UC Davis

Date: Thursday, April 12, 2018 5:00pm

Location: Hill Center, Room 705, Rutgers University, Busch Campus, Piscataway, NJ

Abstract:

The moving sofa problem is a well-known open problem in geometry. It asks for the planar shape of largest area that can be moved around a right-angled corner in a two-dimensional hallway of width 1. In this talk I will survey the known results about the problem, which has a surprisingly rich structure, and explain several ways in which its study is informed by experimental mathematics. In particular, I will discuss recent results derived in joint work with Yoav Kallus, in which we developed and implemented an algorithm to prove new upper bounds for the area of a moving sofa shape, improving a 1968 result by Hammersley.

See: http://sites.math.rutgers.edu/~bte14/expmath/