T-050: s(21)≥5000/1001=4.995004995…

V3 C3 lower bound confirmed superseded by T-052

2026-09-23 published · Daniel after Burns, Massaccesi · n=21

s(21)≥5000/1001 = 4.995004995..., by Evan Daniel's weighted point certificate of 23 September 2026. It raised the verified bound by 2878/25025, about 0.115, over T-034.

The certificate is 4,604 D4-invariant rational points in 580 orbits, total weight 260057/12500 = 20.80456 < 21, decided over the rational angle net at N=6000 by the method of T-049.

It was replayed here on 27 September 2026 by the source's Rust verifier at N=6000, least captured weight 10000083/10^7 at bin 684 as the source records, and by its exact Python re-check on four bins including the binding one; the two are one angle-net method.

Evan Daniel, evand/square-packing, building on Burns's and Massaccesi's method, with an AI agent under human direction as its CREDITS.md says.

Significance, composition and next rung
Significance
Moved n=21 by 0.115 over T-034 to within 5/1001 of the grid's 5, past this repository's own fixed-shrink ceiling of 4.9885 for the format. A substantive case result, S3; superseded within two days by the same author's exact value.
Next rung
V4 and C4 need two adversarial AI reviews by distinct reviewers and a human oversight record, and none is retained. A second machine method would be the native parent-core decision, which certified rows 0 to 2,378 of 2,486 before it was stopped and projects to about 2.8 CPU-hours complete; its journal was not retained, so it must run again. Superseded as the verified lower bound on 2026-09-29 by Evan Daniel's s(21)=5 (T-052); stays true as stated.
Novelty
previously-published Present in an identified source

The case

Case record

n=21

5
456
4.5835.583
nn+1

Proven

s(21)=5

  • optimal
  • exact

Citation record n-021

lowerDaniel after Burns, Massaccesi 2026, GitHub (confirmed T-052)

The case record

LowerUpper
Verified55
Reported55
Gap0 solved: the verified bounds meet

Results on the case

12 results in the register on n=21, oldest first, each with what it established and how it stands now.

  1. 2005 published T-007

    s(n)≥min(⌈n⌉,n−2⌊n⌋+1+1) for 4≤n≤324

    V0 C1 lower bound incomplete on this case, superseded by T-052

    Nagamochi · Nagamochi 2005 · source · register

  2. 2026-09-04 established T-020

    s(n)≥24/5=4.80 for n=19,20,21

    V3 C3 lower bound confirmed superseded by T-052

    Levy after Burns, Massaccesi · register

  3. 2026-09-04 published T-085

    Nagamochi 2005, Lemma 1 is false for every container with a>3 and b>2

    V3 C3 correction confirmed

    Karakuş; chelokot · Karakuş 2026 · chelokot Nagamochi counterexample 2026 · packet · register

  4. 2026-09-05 established T-021

    s(n)≥97/20=4.85 for n=20,21

    V3 C3 lower bound confirmed superseded by T-052

    Levy after Burns, Massaccesi · register

  5. 2026-09-23 established T-034

    s(21)≥122/25=4.88

    V3 C3 lower bound confirmed superseded by T-052

    Levy after Burns, Massaccesi · register

  6. 2026-09-23 published T-050 this result

    s(21)≥5000/1001=4.995004995…

    V3 C3 lower bound confirmed superseded by T-052

    Daniel after Burns, Massaccesi · evand square-packing 2026 · packet · source · review · register

  7. 2026-09-27 published T-052

    s(21)=5, by a mixed cover of points and grid-line segments

    V3 C3 optimality confirmed

    Daniel after Burns, Massaccesi · evand square-packing 2026-09-28 · packet · source · review · register

  8. 2026-09-28 published T-055

    s(21)=5 by a point-only route

    V3 C3 simplification confirmed

    wand125 after Daniel, Tokoharu, Levy, Stromquist, Nagamochi, Burns, Massaccesi · wand125 point and mixed bounds 2026-09-28 · packet · source · review · register

  9. 2026-09-29 published T-058

    Rectangle-certificate ceiling α·UB(n) proved for n=1..100; B·UB(n) on 64 grid rows

    V3 C3 method limit confirmed

    wand125 after Tokoharu, Daniel · wand125 tools 2026 · packet · register

  10. 2026-09-29 published T-083

    s(n)≥1/2+n−⌊n⌋+1/4 for every nonsquare 8≤n≤324

    V3 C3 lower bound confirmed on this case, superseded by T-052

    Karakuş · Karakuş 2026 · source · register

  11. 2026-10-03 published T-081

    s(k2−4)=k for every integer k from 5 up; k=5…18 are the cases held here

    V0 C1 optimality reviewed on this case, second certificate, reported

    Daniel after Burns, Massaccesi · evand square-packing 2026-10-03 · packet · packet · source · review · register

  12. 2026-10-07 published T-124

    Reported non-strict local minima for 178 source configurations

    V0 C0 restricted optimality recorded

    Daniel after Couzo · Daniel exact and local reports 2026 · packet · register