Snell meets Fagnano. Path optimization through an imperfect mirror
Dynamical Systems
2025-12-03 v1
Abstract
The renowned Fagnano problem asks for the inscribed triangle of minimal perimeter within a given reference triangle. Equivalently, it seeks a billiard trajectory inside the triangle that closes after three reflections. In this note, we consider a modification of this classical problem: finding the inscribed triangle of minimal weighted perimeter -- or, equivalently, the periodic trajectory of a Snell billiard.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2512.02236,
title = {Snell meets Fagnano. Path optimization through an imperfect mirror},
author = {Maxim Arnold and Jaewoo Park},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.02236},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
11 pages, 8 figures