From Computational Certification to Exact Coordinates: Heilbronn’s Triangle Problem on the Unit Square Using Mixed-Integer Optimization

We develop a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) approach for the classical Heilbronn triangle problem, demonstrating the capability of modern global optimization solvers to tackle challenging combinatorial geometry problems. A symmetry-breaking strategy based on boundary structure yields a substantially stronger model: for n=9, we compute an epsilon-globally optimal point in 15 minutes on a standard desktop … Read more

Solving the Heilbronn Triangle Problem using Global Optimization Methods

We study the Heilbronn triangle problem, which involves placing \(n\) points in the unit square such that the minimum area of any triangle formed by these points is maximized. A straightforward maximin formulation of this problem is highly non-linear and non-convex due to the existence of bilinear terms and absolute value equations. We propose two … Read more