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Statement

Suppose a non-isosceles triangle TT is tiled by a nonsimilar triangle R=(α,β,γ)R=(\alpha,\beta,\gamma). Up to the indicated labeling of TT and of the tile, it belongs to the following table.

Angles of T=(A,B,C)T=(A,B,C)Required rationalityTile relation
(2α,2β,α+β)(2\alpha,2\beta,\alpha+\beta)3tan⁡(A/4)∈Q\sqrt3\tan(A/4)\in\mathbb Qα+β=π/3\alpha+\beta=\pi/3
(α,α+2β,α+β)(\alpha,\alpha+2\beta,\alpha+\beta)3tan⁡(A/2)∈Q\sqrt3\tan(A/2)\in\mathbb Qα+β=π/3\alpha+\beta=\pi/3
(α,2α,3β)(\alpha,2\alpha,3\beta)3tan⁡(A/2)∈Q\sqrt3\tan(A/2)\in\mathbb Qα+β=π/3\alpha+\beta=\pi/3
(α,2α,2β)(\alpha,2\alpha,2\beta)sin⁡(A/2)∈Q\sin(A/2)\in\mathbb Q3α+2β=π3\alpha+2\beta=\pi
(2α,β,α+β)(2\alpha,\beta,\alpha+\beta)sin⁡(A/4)∈Q\sin(A/4)\in\mathbb Q3α+2β=π3\alpha+2\beta=\pi
(α,2β,2α+β)(\alpha,2\beta,2\alpha+\beta)3tan⁡(A/2)∈Q\sqrt3\tan(A/2)\in\mathbb Qα+β=π/3\alpha+\beta=\pi/3

The first two rows have C=π/3C=\pi/3; the next two have B=2AB=2A; the last two have C=A/2+BC=A/2+B and C=2A+B/2C=2A+B/2, respectively.

Source and scope. Beeson–Laczkovich–Zhang, arXiv:2604.03609v3, Lemma 12 and Propositions 13–17, pp. 5–8. Complete rewritten proofs of the case deductions, conditional on Theorem 11. The four component propositions are proved here once, under their own labels.

Common setup and Lemma 12

By Theorem 11, the angles of TT and RR are incommensurable and RR has rational side ratios. In either group, α\alpha and β\beta are linearly independent over Q\mathbb Q: a rational ratio between them, together with their group's equation for π\pi, would make both rational multiples of π\pi.

The six patterns of Theorem 11 immediately give the four relations stated after the table. This proves Lemma 12. It remains to check that a triangle satisfying one of those relations cannot arise from an inappropriate pattern, and then to identify its rationality condition.

Proposition 14: C=π/3C=\pi/3

In Group 1, one of α,2α,2β,β,α+β\alpha,2\alpha,2\beta,\beta,\alpha+\beta would equal π/3\pi/3. The first four possibilities force commensurable angles. The last, together with 3α+2β=π3\alpha+2\beta=\pi, forces β=0\beta=0. Therefore this group cannot occur.

In Group 2, no positive integer multiple of α\alpha or β\beta can be π/3\pi/3, since this would again force commensurability. Neither 2α+β2\alpha+\beta nor α+2β\alpha+2\beta can equal α+β\alpha+\beta. Thus CC must be the angle α+β\alpha+\beta, leaving only the first two rows. In the first row Proposition 10 applied to RR gives 3tan⁡(A/4)∈Q\sqrt3\tan(A/4)\in\mathbb Q, for either choice of AA among 2α,2β2\alpha,2\beta. In the second row the side ratios of TT are rational by the boundary observation in Theorem 11. Apply Proposition 10 to TT, whose other two angles sum to 2π/32\pi/3, to obtain 3tan⁡(A/2)∈Q\sqrt3\tan(A/2)\in\mathbb Q for either remaining angle.

Proposition 15: B=2AB=2A

In a fixed group, represent an angle uα+vβu\alpha+v\beta by its coefficient pair (u,v)(u,v). Linear independence implies that one angle is twice another only if their coefficient pairs have that same relation. Among the Group 1 patterns, the only such pair is α,2α\alpha,2\alpha in (α,2α,2β)(\alpha,2\alpha,2\beta); in (2α,β,α+β)(2\alpha,\beta,\alpha+\beta) there is none. Among the Group 2 patterns the only such pair is again α,2α\alpha,2\alpha, now in (α,2α,3β)(\alpha,2\alpha,3\beta). Thus A=αA=\alpha. Apply Proposition 9 in Group 1 and Proposition 10 in Group 2. They give the fourth and third rows respectively. This coefficient check is the source's permutation exclusion written explicitly.

Proposition 16: C=A/2+BC=A/2+B

Write A=pα+qβA=p\alpha+q\beta and B=sα+tβB=s\alpha+t\beta, with nonnegative integer coefficients from the six patterns. Summing the angles gives

2π=(3p+4s)α+(3q+4t)β.2\pi=(3p+4s)\alpha+(3q+4t)\beta.

In Group 1, independence implies 3p+4s=63p+4s=6 and 3q+4t=43q+4t=4. The only nonnegative integer solutions are (p,s)=(2,0)(p,s)=(2,0) and (q,t)=(0,1)(q,t)=(0,1). Hence (A,B,C)=(2α,β,α+β)(A,B,C)=(2\alpha,\beta,\alpha+\beta), and Proposition 9 gives sin⁡(A/4)∈Q\sin(A/4)\in\mathbb Q. In Group 2 both right sides are 66, forcing s=t=0s=t=0 and hence B=0B=0, impossible.

Proposition 17: C=2A+B/2C=2A+B/2

The same notation now gives

2π=(6p+3s)α+(6q+3t)β.2\pi=(6p+3s)\alpha+(6q+3t)\beta.

In Group 1 this requires 6q+3t=46q+3t=4, impossible. In Group 2 both coefficients equal 66. Thus (p,s)(p,s) and (q,t)(q,t) are each either (1,0)(1,0) or (0,2)(0,2). Using the same choice twice makes AA or BB zero, so the choices must differ. They give (A,B,C)=(α,2β,2α+β)(A,B,C)=(\alpha,2\beta,2\alpha+\beta) or its version with α,β\alpha,\beta interchanged. Proposition 10 supplies 3tan⁡(A/2)∈Q\sqrt3\tan(A/2)\in\mathbb Q. All six table rows are proved.

Bears on. Problem 633.