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Seminar Details

Computer-assisted Explorations and Proofs in the Moving Sofa Problem

  • Start Date: April 12, 2018
  • Event Start Time: 5:00 PM
  • Event End Time: 6:00 PM
  • Seminar Series: Experimental Math Seminar
  • Presenter(s): Dan Romik - University of California, Davis
  • Event Location: Conference Room 705 | Rutgers University | Hill Center | 110 Frelinghuysen Rd
  • Presentation Type: Stand Alone Presentation
  • 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.