Related papers: Cusps of caustics by reflection in ellipses
There are nontrivial dualities and parallels between polynomial algebras and the Grassmann algebras. This paper is an attempt to look at the Grassmann algebras at the angle of the Jacobian conjecture for polynomial algebras (which is the…
The $n$-th Fibonacci cube $\Gamma_n$ is the subgraph of the hypercube $Q_n$ induced by binary strings with no two consecutive ones. We determine $\pi(\Gamma_n) = 2^n$ for $n \le 6$, so the pebbling number of $\Gamma_n$ equals that of the…
The famous conjecture of V.Ya.Ivrii (1978) says that {\it in every billiard with infinitely-smooth boundary in a Euclidean space the set of periodic orbits has measure zero}. In the present paper we study the complex algebraic version of…
Can any secrets still be shed by that much studied, uniquely integrable, Elliptic Billiard? Starting by examining the family of 3-periodic trajectories and the loci of their Triangular Centers, one obtains a beautiful and variegated gallery…
We consider two nested billiards in $\mathbb R^d$, $d\geq3$, with $C^2$-smooth strictly convex boundaries. We prove that if the corresponding actions by reflections on the space of oriented lines commute, then the billiards are confocal…
We investigate the existence of elliptic islands for a special family of periodic orbits of a two-parameter family of maps corresponding to the billiard problem on the elliptical stadium. The hyperbolic or elliptical character of these…
Given any light position S in the complex projective plane P^2 and any algebraic curve C of P^2 (with any kind of singularities), we consider the incident lines coming from S (i.e. the lines containing S) and their reflected lines after…
A comprehensive analysis of periodic trajectories of billiards within ellipses in the Euclidean plane is presented. The novelty of the approach is based on a relationship recently established by the authors between periodic billiard…
We consider 3-periodic orbits in an elliptic billiard. Numerical experiments conducted by Dan Reznik have shown that the locus of the centers of inscribed circles of the corresponding triangles is an ellipse. We prove this fact by the…
In this experimental work we study billiard trajectories in triangular pyramids and try to establish conditions that guarantee the existence (or absence) of 4-cycles (there can be not more, than three of them). We formulate conjectures and…
A group $G$ is J\'onsson if $|H| < |G|$ whenever $H$ is a proper subgroup of $G$. Using an embedding theorem of Obraztsov it is shown that there exists a J\'onsson group $G$ of infinite cardinality $\kappa$ if and only if there exists a…
Given a point S (the light position) in P^3 and an algebraic surface Z (the mirror) of P^3, the caustic by reflection of Z from S is the Zariski closure of the envelope of the reflected lines got by reflection of the incident lines (Sm) on…
Given any smooth plane curve {\alpha}(s)representing a mirror that reflects light the usual way and any radiant light source at a point in the plane, the reflected light will produce a caustic envelope. For such an envelope, we show that…
This short note revisits the classical result that the complete caustic by refraction of a circle is the evolute of Cartesian ovals. We provide additional details to the statement and geometric proof of this fact, as presented in G.…
On an elliptic billard, we study a complex reflexion law introduced by A. Glutsyuk in order to state that the locus of the circumcenters of triangular orbits is an ellipse.
For billiards in an ellipse with an ellipse as caustic, there exist canonical coordinates such that the billiard transformation from vertex to vertex is equivalent to a shift of coordinates. A kinematic analysis of billiard motions paves…
We study a class of elliptic billiards with a Keplerian potential inside, considering two cases: a reflective one, where the particle reflects elastically on the boundary, and a refractive one, where the particle can cross the billiard's…
In this paper we prove the Birkhoff-Poritsky conjecture for centrally-symmetric $C^2$-smooth convex planar billiards. We assume that the domain $\mathcal A$ between the invariant curve of $4$-periodic orbits and the boundary of the phase…
We prove that for $c>0$ a sufficiently small universal constant that a random set of $c d^2/\log^4(d)$ independent Gaussian random points in $\mathbb{R}^d$ lie on a common ellipsoid with high probability. This nearly establishes a…
We study rational circular billiards. By viewing the trajectory formed after each reflection point to another inside the circle as the number of circle divisions into regions we derive a general formula for the number of division regions…