English

The Farthest Point Map on the Regular Dodecahedron

Metric Geometry 2021-04-07 v1

Abstract

Let XX be the regular dodecahedron, equipped with its intrinsic path metric. Given pXp \in X let G(p)=qG(p)=-q where qq is the point on XX which maximizes the distance to pp. (Generically, GG is single-valued.) We give a complete description of the map GG and as a consequence show that the ω\omega-limit set of GG is the 11-skeleton of a subdivision of XX into 180180 convex quadrilaterals. GG is a piecewise bi-quadratic map, and each algebraic piece is defined by a straight line construction involving a rhombus. The rhombi involved have the same shapes as the ones in the Penrose tiling. Our proof is computer-assisted but rigorous.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2104.02567,
  title  = {The Farthest Point Map on the Regular Dodecahedron},
  author = {Richard Evan Schwartz},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2104.02567},
  year   = {2021}
}

Comments

64 pages, computer assisted proof. I am disappointed at the length and complexity of the proof, and I don't know if I will try to publish this paper and thereby inflict it on a referee. However, I think it is worth having this result, and some proof, on the record

R2 v1 2026-06-24T00:53:26.785Z