Conjecture Regarding rotation of a set by a sequence of rational angles.

In summary, the conversation discusses a conjecture regarding the rotation of a set by a sequence of angles, specifically rational multiples of pi. The question asks if this conjecture holds for all angles in the range of 0 to 2pi. A note is included about how this conjecture holds for irrational numbers but may not hold for rational numbers. The conversation also mentions an algorithm that produces the given sequence and confirms that following the sequence is not necessary to prove the conjecture.
  • #1
mehr1methanol
10
0
Conjecture Regarding Rotation of a Set by a Sequence of Angles.

Consider the following sequence, where the elements are rational numbers mulriplied by [itex]\pi[/itex]:
[itex] (\alpha_{i}) = \hspace{2 mm}\pi/4,\hspace{2 mm} 3\pi/8,\hspace{2 mm} \pi/4,\hspace{2 mm} 3\pi/16,\hspace{2 mm} \pi/4,\hspace{2 mm} 3\pi/8,\hspace{2 mm} \pi/4,\hspace{2 mm} 3\pi/32,\hspace{2 mm} \pi/4,\hspace{2 mm} 3\pi/8,\hspace{2 mm} \pi/4,\hspace{2 mm} 3\pi/16,\hspace{2 mm} \pi/4,\hspace{2 mm} 3\pi/8,\hspace{2 mm} \pi/4,\hspace{2 mm} 3\pi/64,\hspace{2 mm} \pi/4,\hspace{2 mm} \cdots[/itex]

Let [itex]K \subset ℝ^{2}[/itex] be a compact set. Also let [itex]R_{\alpha_{i}}[/itex] denote the rotation by [itex]\alpha_{i}[/itex].

Suppose [itex]R_{\alpha_{i}}K = \hspace{2 mm} K[/itex] for each [itex]\alpha_{i} \in (\alpha_{i})[/itex].

Question: Is it true that for all [itex]\theta \in [0, 2\pi)[/itex] [itex]R_{\theta}K = \hspace{2 mm} K[/itex].

Note:
If instead we had the sequence [itex](n\alpha)[/itex] where [itex]\alpha[/itex] is an irrational number, it is trivial that the conjecture holds. This is trivial due to the following fact from the study of continued fractions:
Given any real number on a circle, it can be approximated arbitrarily close by multiples of an irrational number.
But if [itex]\alpha[/itex] is a rational number this doesn't hold since after a finite number of rotations you will get back to where you started from. However in the question above we don't have rotations by a fixed rational number and the answer is not immediate!
 
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  • #2
There are some things not making sense to me in this question.
Most obviously, the sequence clearly consists of irrationals, so I guess you mean rational multiples of pi. Secondly, I don't see any significance in showing it as a sequence, including repeats. It seems to be used only as a set - so why the repeats?
That said, if I've understood the question...
K is closed under rotations by 3nπ.2-m, for all positive integers m, n.
Given θ, let xi be the bits of the binary fraction expressing θ/3π. From this you can construct a sequence of rotations converging on θ.
 
  • #3
haruspex said:
There are some things not making sense to me in this question.
Most obviously, the sequence clearly consists of irrationals, so I guess you mean rational multiples of pi.

That's exactly right. Thank you for pointing that out. I corrected the question.


haruspex said:
Secondly, I don't see any significance in showing it as a sequence, including repeats. It seems to be used only as a set - so why the repeats?

The reason for the repeats is the following:
I'm preforming a symmetrization on the set K and the algorithm is such that it produces the above sequence.

I got confused myself because once I got the sequence, I thought the rule is that I must follow the sequence to get arbitrary close to a θ. But you're absolutely right. Once I show [itex] R_{\alpha_{i}}K = K[/itex] for each [itex] \alpha_{i}[/itex], I'm done. This is because of the role that "n" is playing in your solution.

When I get a little too excited I need someone to check I'm not doing something stupid. Thanks for the comment!
 

1. What is a "Conjecture Regarding rotation of a set by a sequence of rational angles"?

A conjecture is a statement that is believed to be true but has not yet been proven. In this case, the conjecture is that a set of points can be rotated by a sequence of rational angles and still maintain its shape and size.

2. What are rational angles?

Rational angles are angles that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers. This means that the angle can be written as a fraction, such as 1/2 or 3/4.

3. How does this conjecture relate to geometry?

This conjecture is related to geometry because it involves the rotation of a set of points, which is a fundamental concept in geometry. It explores the idea that the shape and size of a set of points can be maintained even after a sequence of rotations by rational angles.

4. What is the significance of this conjecture?

If proven to be true, this conjecture would have significant implications in the field of mathematics. It could lead to a better understanding of rotations and their effects on geometric shapes, as well as potentially new applications in fields such as computer graphics and animation.

5. Has this conjecture been proven?

No, this conjecture has not been proven. It is still an open problem in mathematics and further research and experimentation is needed to determine its validity.

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