The continuous periodic tiling conjecture
Let be a bounded measurable subset of with positive measure. For , write
when the translates partition up to null sets. The set is periodic if it is a finite union of cosets of a lattice, meaning a discrete cocompact subgroup of . The tiling equation is aperiodic if it has solutions, but none of its solutions are periodic.
Continuous periodic tiling conjecture. Let be a bounded measurable subset of of positive measure. Then the tiling equation
is not aperiodic.
Equivalently, whenever tiles Euclidean space measurably by translations, it has a periodic translational tiling. The supplied text gives no resolution of this continuous analogue.
Equivalent formulations 2Other wordings
Other statements of this same problem, merged from separate entries. Each is equivalent to the statement above — proving any one settles them all.
The continuous periodic tiling conjecture
Let be a bounded measurable subset of Euclidean space . A discrete set gives a measurable tiling when the translates partition up to null sets; call the tiling periodic when is a finite union of cosets of a lattice in . Continuous periodic tiling conjecture. If tiles by translations, then periodically tiles by translations. The conjecture is known in the one-dimensional settings and , but the higher-dimensional problem is not resolved here.
source: Rachel Greenfeld and Terence Tao, “A counterexample to the periodic tiling conjecture (announcement)”, arXiv:2209.08451 (2022).
The continuous periodic tiling conjecture
Let be a bounded measurable set of positive measure. A continuous translational tiling is a set such that
A tiling set is periodic if it is invariant under translations by some lattice .
Continuous periodic tiling conjecture. The tiling equation is not aperiodic. Equivalently, if is nonempty, then it contains a periodic set .
This is proposed as the continuous analogue of the discrete periodic tiling conjecture. The source does not state whether it is resolved.
source: Rachel Greenfeld, “Translational tilings: structured or wild?”, arXiv:2509.25576 (2025).
References
Primary source
Rachel Greenfeld and Terence Tao, “A counterexample to the periodic tiling conjecture”, arXiv:2211.15847 (2024).
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