Serving the Quantitative Finance Community

 
User avatar
outrun
Topic Author
Posts: 4573
Joined: January 1st, 1970, 12:00 am

Circle through a square hole

March 6th, 2018, 11:53 am

I have a piece of paper with a unit 1x1 square cut out in the middle. What's the largest circular disk I can push through the hole?
 
User avatar
Traden4Alpha
Posts: 3300
Joined: September 20th, 2002, 8:30 pm

Re: Circle through a square hole

March 6th, 2018, 1:25 pm

The diameter depends on what we can do to the circle:

1. Rigid: sqrt(2) with the circle slotted diagonally

2. Bend of radius 1: pi/2 with the circle gently bent to fit along two sides of the square.

3. Bend of minimum radius r < 1/2: (1/2+r)*pi/t where t is the thickness and the circle is rolled into a spiral*

4. Bend of radius 0: 2/t where t is the thickness and the circle is rolled into a square spiral.

*Note: #3 is wrong there's another radius r solution but I need to think about it.
 
User avatar
Paul
Posts: 6604
Joined: July 20th, 2001, 3:28 pm

Re: Circle through a square hole

March 6th, 2018, 1:34 pm

Can you bend both the paper and the disk? 'Disk' sound less bendy than 'paper'!
 
User avatar
outrun
Topic Author
Posts: 4573
Joined: January 1st, 1970, 12:00 am

Re: Circle through a square hole

March 6th, 2018, 2:44 pm

Can you bend both the paper and the disk? 'Disk' sound less bendy than 'paper'!
The disk is a cracker with Roquefort

Image
 
User avatar
Traden4Alpha
Posts: 3300
Joined: September 20th, 2002, 8:30 pm

Re: Circle through a square hole

March 6th, 2018, 4:12 pm

Can you bend both the paper and the disk? 'Disk' sound less bendy than 'paper'!
Excellent point!

If you pull on a piece of paper diagonally at corners 1 & 3 of a square hole, the paper will wrinkle at corners 2 & 4 to create a slot that is 2 units long for the passage of the gluten free cracker.
 
User avatar
outrun
Topic Author
Posts: 4573
Joined: January 1st, 1970, 12:00 am

Re: Circle through a square hole

March 6th, 2018, 5:17 pm

Very good both of you!
 
User avatar
Traden4Alpha
Posts: 3300
Joined: September 20th, 2002, 8:30 pm

Re: Circle through a square hole

March 6th, 2018, 5:26 pm

I have a piece of paper with a unit 1x1 square cut out in the middle. What's the largest circular disk I can push through the hole?
Push a SATA cable though the hole and attach it to this:
Image
 
User avatar
Collector
Posts: 2572
Joined: August 21st, 2001, 12:37 pm
Contact:

Re: Circle through a square hole

March 11th, 2018, 12:26 pm

Can you bend both the paper and the disk? 'Disk' sound less bendy than 'paper'!
Excellent point!

If you pull on a piece of paper diagonally at corners 1 & 3 of a square hole, the paper will wrinkle at corners 2 & 4 to create a slot that is 2 units long for the passage of the gluten free cracker.
I prefer high gluten crackers, gluten protein gives high elasticity, so one can just squeeze the crackers through the hole without folding the paper. I guess the new trick of folding the paper came into play after the the popularity of gluten free crackers?