arXiv · 2609.26058
A structural proof of the Karpelevič theorem
Abstract
We give a self-contained proof of the Karpelevič theorem by reducing an extremal invariant polygon to a cyclic product with an exact real phase. A minimum branching count organizes the contacts, and face persistence makes a projective deformation applicable without separate tower-height cases. Convexity determines the sharp radius; explicit stochastic realizations and an independent Farey comparison identify the complete boundary. The resulting scalar equation also gives a uniform relative asymptotic for the radial deficit, including points arbitrarily close to Farey endpoints. It yields an $N^{-3}$ loss in badly approximable directions and a worst-direction loss of order $N^{-2}$ for optimal polygonal gauges.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Brecht Verbeken, Vincent Ginis. 2026-09-23. A structural proof of the Karpelevič theorem. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.26058
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.