摘要

用n边形拼球，n必须是3，4，或5。对全等三边形的拼球研究始于1922年，且于2002年完成。全等五边形的拼球比三边形复杂许多，需要考虑五种可能的边长组合：a²b²c, a³bc, a³b², a⁴b, a⁵。我们已经完成了四种组合的分类，唯一还没有完成的是几乎等边组合a⁴b。

三角形是刚性的，五边形是柔性的。对五边形拼球，我们需要建立各种技巧和理论，有些是一般性的，有些是针对特定边长组合。有些技巧和理论还可以进一步发展成一些新的研究课题。

本课题是和日本东北大学赤间阳二，浙江师大王二小、香港科技大学陆海平等的合作研究。

简介

A native in Shanghai, Prof. Min Yan received BS from Fudan University and PhD from the University of Chicago, after selected among three other students of Fudan University to enroll in a program initiated by Shiing-Shen Chern for young Chinese math students to study in the United States.  He then held positions at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Michigan, before joining the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 1992.  Prof. Yan's research interests include integrable systems, Hopf algebra, geometric topology, and combinatorics.  Besides research papers of a broad scope, he has published a textbook in topology as well as one jointly in calculus.  He is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and the Director of International Affairs in the School of Science.