Inscribed square problem
Inscribed square problem
Problem statement
inscribed_square_problem
Inscribed square problem Does every Jordan curve admit an inscribed square?
inscribed_rectangle_problem
Inscribed rectangle problem Does every Jordan curve admit inscribed rectangles of any given aspect ratio?
Lean 4
Formal statement
Lean 4/-
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-/
import FormalConjecturesUtil
/-!
# Inscribed square problem
The *inscribed square problem* or *Toeplitz conjecture* asks whether every Jordan curve (i.e. simple
close curve in ℝ²) admits an inscribed square, i.e. a square whose vertices all lie on the curve.
There are several open and solved variants of this conjecture.
*References:*
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inscribed_square_problem)
- [A Survey on the Square Peg Problem](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274622766_A_Survey_on_the_Square_Peg_Problem)
by *Benjamin Matschke*
- [arxiv/2005.09193](https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.09193)
-/
open Topology ContDiff Manifold
open scoped EuclideanGeometry
namespace InscribedSquare
/-- Four points `a b c d` in the plane form a rectangle with `a` opposite to `c` iff the line
segments from `a` to `c` and from `b` to `d` have both the same length and the same midpoint, acting
as the diagonals of the rectangle. We also require the rectangle to be nondegenerate and have a
given aspect ratio `ratio : ℝ`. -/
structure IsRectangle (a b c d : ℝ²) (ratio : ℝ) : Prop where
diagonal_midpoints_eq : a + c = b + d
diagonal_lengths_eq : dist a c = dist b d
a_ne_b : a ≠ b
b_ne_c : b ≠ c
has_ratio : (dist a b) / (dist b c) = ratio
/--
**Inscribed square problem**
Does every Jordan curve admit an inscribed square?
-/
@[category research open, AMS 51]
theorem inscribed_square_problem :
answer(sorry) ↔ ∀ (γ : Circle → ℝ²) (hγ : IsEmbedding γ),
∃ t₁ t₂ t₃ t₄, IsRectangle (γ t₁) (γ t₂) (γ t₃) (γ t₄) 1 := by
sorry
/--
**Inscribed rectangle problem**
Does every Jordan curve admit inscribed rectangles of any given aspect ratio?
-/
@[category research open, AMS 51]
theorem inscribed_rectangle_problem :
answer(sorry) ↔ ∀ (γ : Circle → ℝ²) (hγ : IsEmbedding γ) (r : ℝ) (hr : r > 0),
∃ t₁ t₂ t₃ t₄, IsRectangle (γ t₁) (γ t₂) (γ t₃) (γ t₄) r := by
sorry
/--
It is known that every Jordan curve admits at least one inscribed rectangle.
-/
@[category research solved, AMS 51]
theorem exists_inscribed_rectangle (γ : Circle → ℝ²) (hγ : IsEmbedding γ) :
∃ t₁ t₂ t₃ t₄ r, IsRectangle (γ t₁) (γ t₂) (γ t₃) (γ t₄) r := by
sorry
/--
It is known that every *smooth* Jordan curve admits inscribed rectangles of all aspect ratios.
-/
@[category research solved, AMS 51]
theorem exists_inscribed_rectangle_of_smooth (γ : Circle → ℝ²)
(hγ : IsEmbedding γ) (hγ' : ContMDiff (𝓡 1) (𝓡 2) ∞ γ) (r : ℝ) (hr : r > 0) :
∃ t₁ t₂ t₃ t₄, IsRectangle (γ t₁) (γ t₂) (γ t₃) (γ t₄) r := by
sorry
/--
It is also known that every $C^2$ Jordan curve admits an inscribed square.
-/
@[category research solved, AMS 51]
theorem exists_inscribed_square_of_C2 (γ : Circle → ℝ²)
(hγ : IsEmbedding γ) (hγ' : ContMDiff (𝓡 1) (𝓡 2) 2 γ) :
∃ t₁ t₂ t₃ t₄, IsRectangle (γ t₁) (γ t₂) (γ t₃) (γ t₄) 1 := by
sorry
end InscribedSquare
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Source snapshot inspected on 10 September 2026. Subsequent research status and the accuracy of source formalizations have not been independently certified.
Fixed commit b82b08faa9006484021c12005ab41287fb2ffb69. This file contains 2 source-labeled research-open declarations. Other declarations in the attached file can be definitions, solved results or tests. The file is preserved as source material; it has not been compiled or proved by this import.
Copyright The Formal Conjectures Authors. Code: Apache-2.0; other original material: CC BY 4.0. Third-party sources retain their own licenses. Original source files and notices preserved.
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