Hasty Briefsbeta

Sangaku Puzzle I Can't Solve

4 days ago
  • #Sangaku
  • #math-puzzle
  • #geometry
  • A friend found a Sangaku, a Japanese geometrical problem on wooden tablets from the Edo period.
  • The problem involves finding the radius of a small circle in relation to the side length of a square.
  • The solution involves complex geometry and algebra, with multiple approaches suggested by different people.
  • One approach uses Descartes’ Circle Theorem and inversion techniques to simplify the problem.
  • Another approach involves setting up coordinate systems and solving equations for the circle's center and radius.
  • The final solution found was that the radius of the small circle is 4/33 of the side length of the square.