Mathematical  Culture and Thought

Mathematical Culture and Thought

Billiards‎, ‎Linear Dynamics with Two Spheres‎, ‎and the Number π

Document Type : Survey

Authors
Department of Mathematical Sciences‎, ‎Yazd University‎, ‎Iran
Abstract

A dynamic system consisting of two balls of different masses   located on a line and a perfectly elastic barrier (wall) can be examined by means of a wedge billiard table‎. ‎This issue‎, ‎called Galperin's billiards‎, ‎relates the number of collisions to  π digits‎. ‎In this article‎, ‎we will study this interesting connection and its preliminaries‎, ‎and we will express some famous conjectures in the setting of billiards‎, ‎mentioning a few prerequisites.
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  • Receive Date 18 March 2023
  • Revise Date 11 January 2024
  • Accept Date 11 January 2024
  • Publish Date 22 July 2024