/cu24
this talk!
September 13, 2024
Polar/angular coordinates!
Rectangular coordinates!
Rectangular coordinates, sorta
Probability that a random point in an \(n\)-dimensional cube lies inside the inscribed sphere
Polar coordinates?
Polar coordinates?
Polar coordinates, non-uniformly
Spherical coordinates?
2D standard Gaussian points
Normalized 2D standard Gaussian points
Distance distribution for 2D Gaussian
Distance distribution for 5D Gaussian
Distance distribution for 20D Gaussian
Cylindrical coordinates?
Archimedes’ Theorem:
The red and blue areas are equal!
Cylindrical coordinates!
W. S. B. Woolhouse, Educational Times 18 (1865), p. 189
J. J. Sylvester, Educational Times 18 (1865), p. 68
W. S. B. Woolhouse, The Lady's and Gentleman's Diary 158 (1861), p. 76
Probability \(p\)
\(p\)
\(p\)
\(p\)
\(p\)
Uh oh!
Proposition [Portnoy]
If the vertices of the triangle are chosen from the standard Gaussian on \(\mathbb{R}^2\), then
\(\mathbb{P}(\text{obtuse}) = \frac{3}{4}\)
Choose three vertices uniformly in the disk:
\(\mathbb{P}(\text{obtuse})=\frac{9}{8}-\frac{4}{\pi^2}\approx 0.7197\)
Choose three vertices uniformly in the square:
\(\mathbb{P}(\text{obtuse})=\frac{97}{150}-\frac{\pi}{40}\approx 0.7252\)
Sidelengths \((a,b,c)\) uniquely determine a triangle (SSS).
Obtuseness is scale-invariant, so pick a perimeter \(P\) and we have \(a+b+c=P\).
\(b+c<a\)
\(a+b<c\)
\(a+c<b\)
\(\mathbb{P}(\text{obtuse})=9-12\ln 2 \approx 0.68\)
\(b^2+c^2=a^2\)
\(a^2+b^2=c^2\)
\(a^2+c^2=b^2\)
Suppose \(AB\) is the longest side. Then
\(\mathbb{P}(\text{obtuse})=\frac{\pi/8}{\pi/3-\sqrt{3}/4} \approx 0.64\)
But if \(AB\) is the second longest side,
\(\mathbb{P}(\text{obtuse}) = \frac{\pi/2}{\pi/3+\sqrt{3}/2} \approx 0.82\)
reentrant
J.J. Sylvester, Educational Times, April 1864
J.J. Sylvester, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. London 154 (1864), p. 654, footnote 64(b)
W.S.B. Woolhouse, Mathematical Questions with Their Solutions VII (1867), p. 81
A. De Morgan, Trans. Cambridge Phil. Soc. XI (1871), pp. 147–148
W.S.B. Woolhouse, Mathematical Questions with Their Solutions VI (1866), p. 52
C.M. Ingleby, Mathematical Questions with Their Solutions V (1865), p. 82
G.C. De Morgan, Mathematical Questions with Their Solutions V (1865), p. 109
W.S.B. Woolhouse, Mathematical Questions with Their Solutions VI (1866), p. 52
W.S.B. Woolhouse, Mathematical Questions with Their Solutions VIII (1868), p. 105
\(\mathbb{P}(\text{reflex})=\frac{1}{3}\)
\(\mathbb{P}(\text{reflex})=\frac{35}{12\pi^2}\approx 0.296\)
Theorem [Blaschke, 1917]
\(\frac{35}{12\pi^2}\leq\mathbb{P}(\text{reflex})\leq\frac{1}{3}\)
J.M. Wilson, Mathematical Questions with Their Solutions V (1866), p. 81
W.A. Whitworth, Mathematical Questions with Their Solutions VIII (1868), p. 36
Report on J.J. Sylvester’s presentation of his paper “On a Special Class of Questions on the Theory of Probabilities” to the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1865
Protonated P2VP
Random flight model
Knotted DNA
Random polygon model
Action-angle coordinates
Polytope determined by triangle inequalities
Theorem [with Cantarella]
Sampling action-angle coordinates uniformly is equivalent to sampling equilateral polygons uniformly.
Theorem [with Cantarella and Schumacher]
We can generate random equilateral \(n\)-gons in expected time \(\Theta(n^2)\).
Frisch–Wasserman–Delbrück Conjecture
In any reasonable model of random knots parametrized by a “size,” the probability of knotting goes to 1 as the size goes to infinity.
Random polygon
Random diagram
Random petal knot
Frisch–Wasserman–Delbrück Conjecture
In any reasonable model of random knots parametrized by a “size,” the probability of knotting goes to 1 as the size goes to infinity.
Random polygon
Theorem [Diao]
For random equilateral \(n\)-gons, the probability of knotting is
\(\geq 1-e^{-n^{\epsilon}}\) for some \(\epsilon > 0\).
Synthetic chemists can now produce simple topological polymers in usable quantities.
\(\theta\)-curves in solution at the Tezuka lab
What are good coordinates for random embeddings of graphs?
shonkwiler.org/cu24
The symplectic geometry of closed equilateral random walks in 3-space
Jason Cantarella and Clayton Shonkwiler
Annals of Applied Probability 26 (2016), no. 1, 549–596
New stick number bounds from random sampling of confined polygons
Thomas D. Eddy and Clayton Shonkwiler
Experimental Mathematics 31 (2022), no. 4, 1373–1395
Random triangle and polygons in the plane
Jason Cantarella, Tom Needham, Clayton Shonkwiler, and Gavin Stewart
The American Mathematical Monthly 126 (2019), no. 2, 113–134
A faster direct sampling algorithm for equilateral closed polygons and the probability of knotting
Jason Cantarella, Henrik Schumacher, and Clayton Shonkwiler
Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical 57 (2024), no. 28, 28205