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Theorem. Vaughan (1977) [L3M8]

Rectangles, curves, and {Klein} bottles, related to Status of the smooth rectangular Peg problem

Every Jordan curve has an inscribed rectangle.

Theorem. Nonexistence of an embedded Klein surface [local-0]

No continuous embedding of the Klein surface into R3\mathbb{R}^3. This is a standard result from algebraic topology. Using Alexander duality to compute homology, we produce a contradiction.

Proof. [local-1]

Given a Jordan curve JJ, the set of unordered and unequal pairs of points in JJ, denoted SS, is an open Möbius band. Because every unequal unordered pair of points in the circle determines a unique point in RP2\mathbb{R}P^2: Take the two tangent lines to the circle at these points and intersect them.

If tangent lines are parallel, than it indicates the infinite point of RP2\mathbb{R}P^2:

Therefore, SS are the points of the complement of the closed unit disk in the projective plane, hence an open Möbius band.

Consider a map ϕ:SR3\phi : S \to \mathbb{R}^3 defined by

ϕ: SR3ϕ(a,b)= (a+b2,ab)\begin{aligned} &\phi &:& \ &S \to \mathbb{R}^3 \\ &\phi(a, b) &=& \ &\left( \frac{a+b}{2}, |a - b| \right) \end{aligned}

Geometrically, ϕ\phi maps the ordered pair to a point encoding the midpoint of the segment ab\overline{ab} (2D) and the length of the segment (1D).

If ϕ(a1,b1)=ϕ(a2,b2)\phi(a_1, b_1) = \phi(a_2, b_2), then these four points form an inscribed rectangle. Hence we just need to prove that the map ϕ\phi is not injective!

Consider K=ϕ(S)ϕ(S)ρ(ϕ(S))K = \phi(S) \cup \phi(\partial S) \cup \rho(\phi(S)) where ρ\rho reflects the shape in the XY-plane. This is a Klein surface by gluing two Möbius strips at their boundary.

If ϕ\phi is injective, then KK can be embedded into R3\mathbb{R}^3, which contradicts the theorem that nonexistence of an embedded Klein surface into R3\mathbb{R}^3.