Abstract
Consider the problem of finding three non-overlapping circles in a given triangle with the maximum total area. This is Malfatti’s marble problem, and it is known that the greedy arrangement is the solution. In this paper, we provide a simpler proof of this result by synthesizing earlier insights with more recent developments. We also discuss some related geometric extremum problems, and show that the greedy arrangement solves the problem of finding two non-overlapping circles in a tangential polygon with the maximum total radii and/or area. In the light of this discussion, we formulate a natural extension of Melissen’s conjecture.
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