Isoperimetric conjecture on the three-dimensional cube

Let β(0,1]\beta\in(0,1] and let

Q3(β)=([0,β]×[0,1]2,2,1βm[0,β]×[0,1]2)\mathbf{Q}^3(\beta)=([0,\beta]\times[0,1]^2,\lvert\cdot\rvert^2,\frac{1}{\beta}\mathfrak{m}\llcorner_{[0,\beta]\times[0,1]^2})

be the three-dimensional rectangular cube with its uniform probability measure. Write vˉ\bar v for relative volume, and let rr be chosen so that each listed set has relative volume vˉ\bar v.

Isoperimetric conjecture on the three-dimensional cube. For every vˉ(0,1)\bar v\in(0,1), at least one of the following sets or its complement is an isoperimetric minimizer in Q3(β)\mathbf{Q}^3(\beta) of relative volume vˉ\bar v: an eighth ball around a vertex, a quarter cylinder around the short edge [0,β][0,\beta], or a half-plane {xQ3(β):x3vˉ}\{x\in\mathbf{Q}^3(\beta):x_3\leq\bar v\}.

This is widely believed and has been described as one of the nicest open problems in classical geometry. The paper notes that only relative volumes near 00, 1/21/2, and 11 were previously established by compactness arguments, while its results prove the conjecture in additional ranges, including the standard cube for vˉ0.120582\bar v\leq0.120582.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Emanuel Milman, “Isoperimetric Inequalities on Slabs with applications to Cubes and Gaussian Slabs”, arXiv:2403.06602 (2025).

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