The characterization of star-shaped trajectories with rotation number two-fifths

Let DD be the domain under consideration, and let P1P2P3\triangle P_1P_2P_3 be a triangle in DD. Write ψP1P2P3\psi_{\triangle P_1P_2P_3} for its associated billiard map, ρ(ψP1P2P3)\rho(\psi_{\triangle P_1P_2P_3}) for the rotation number, δ(Pi,Pj,Pk)\delta(P_i,P_j,P_k) for the corresponding geometric quantity, and Δ1(Pi,Pj)\Delta_1'(P_i,P_j) and Δ2(Pi,Pj)\Delta_2'(P_i,P_j) for the two quantities associated with the pair (Pi,Pj)(P_i,P_j). The conjecture. One has ρ(ψP1P2P3)=25\rho(\psi_{\triangle P_1P_2P_3})=\frac{2}{5} if and only if there exist i,j,ki,j,k with {i,j,k}={1,2,3}\{i,j,k\}=\{1,2,3\} such that

Δ2(Pi,Pj)δ(Pi,Pj,Pk)12Δ1(Pi,Pj)\Delta_2'(P_i,P_j)\leq \delta(P_i,P_j,P_k)\leq \frac{1}{2}\Delta_1'(P_i,P_j)

or

12Δ1(Pi,Pj)δ(Pi,Pj,Pk)Δ2(Pi,Pj).\frac{1}{2}\Delta_1'(P_i,P_j) \leq \delta(P_i,P_j,P_k)\leq \Delta_2'(P_i,P_j).

The theorem cited in the source proves the sufficient condition, and the paper establishes the conjecture for a certain class of isosceles triangles; the necessity in general remains open.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Takeo Noda, Shin-ichi Yasutomi and Masamichi Yoshida, “Star-shaped trajectories of certain billiards around a triangle”, arXiv:2304.08148 (2024).

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