T-203: Mixed rectangle-measure lower bound s(43)≥2777/400 reported, on a 2,073-direction declared net

V0 C0 Lower bound recorded

2026-10-16 published · Hosono after Tokoharu and Levy · n=43

A rectangle measure of wand125/square-packing, published on 16 October 2026 and reported in jlevy/squares#446, is reported to prove s(43)≥2777/400 = 6.9425.

The certificate, mixed_n43_L69425, is a density of 714 uniform rectangles in D4 orbits, and no point mass, of total mass 4299999/100000, on a net its candidate declares: core side 4999/5000 and 2,073 half-angle tangents of step 1/5002, the net of T-132, T-142 and T-143. Since 4999/5000 (1 + 1/5002) = 25009997/25010000 < 1, and the last tangent 1036/2501 is past tan(pi/8), every unit square contains a concentric core at a net angle strictly in its interior.

The source reports every such core capturing mass at least one at all 2,073 directions, by sqverify-proof-net, its copy of this repository's sqverify_fast changed to read the declared net, in two complete runs, and a control with every mass scaled by 197/200 refused at 32 sampled directions.

The value is above T-090's 2763/400 = 6.9075, the verified and reported lower bound at n=43, by 7/200.

Here the maintained readers accepted its exact mass, declared-net and check2 premises from the retained release asset. No complete replay has run here, so the value stands as reported.

wand125 after Tokoharu and Levy, square-packing. The source says parts of the work were produced with AI assistance under human direction.

Significance, composition and next rung
Significance
Scored as a claim: if a complete replay passes, it is the strongest lower bound on record at n=43, 7/200 above the reported lane, by the certificate kind and declared net of T-132, T-142 and T-143, with no new technique, at S3 as T-176 to T-178 are.
Composition
One reported certificate on its reported entry. The source's check is a copy of this repository's sqverify_fast crate with one change, so a sqverify-fast replay here would be re-implemented sharing the producer's components, as T-104's is, and no second implementation stands beside it.
Next rung
C3 needs a complete sqverify-fast census at all 2,073 directions of the retained candidate, with its whole-net control receipt (the 99/100 mutant at every direction, FC-1) and a review that reads this certificate, by the checklist of the 6 October declared-net soundness review. The census runs in think-f40c, priced at about 21.73 to 24.95 CPU-hours from the source's receipt.
Unfinished confirmations
C3 (think-f40c): a complete sqverify-fast census at all 2,073 directions of the retained candidate, with its whole-net control receipt (the 99/100 mutant at every direction, FC-1) and a review that reads this certificate, by the checklist of the 6 October declared-net soundness review. About 21.73 CPU-hours, up to about 24.95 (priced 2026-10-17).
Novelty
previously-published Present in an identified source

The case

Case record

n=43

6.907
678
6.5577.557
nn+1

Proven

6.90750≤s(43)≤7

  • exact

Citation record n-043

lowerHosono after Tokoharu, Levy et al. 2026, GitHub (confirmed T-090)

Open

  • optimality

The case record

LowerUpper
Gap37400= 0.0925

Results on the case

11 results in the register on n=43, 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-090

    Nagamochi · Nagamochi 2005 · source · register

  2. 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; Vlasenko · Karakuş 2026 · chelokot Nagamochi counterexample 2026 · packet · register

  3. 2026-09-27 published T-046

    Rectangle-density lower bounds reported for 48 counts in n=18…95

    V0 C0 Lower bound recorded superseded by T-090

    Hosono after Tokoharu, Levy, Stromquist, Nagamochi, Burns, Massaccesi · wand125 rectangle bounds 2026 · wand125 rectangle bounds 2026-09-28 · packet · packet · register

  4. 2026-09-28 published T-070

    Rectangle-density lower bounds replayed at 25 counts in n=29…95

    V3 C3 Lower bound confirmed superseded by T-090

    Hosono after Tokoharu, Levy, Stromquist, Nagamochi, Burns, Massaccesi · wand125 rectangle bounds 2026-09-28 · packet · packet · source · review · register

  5. 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

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

  6. 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-090

    Karakuş · Karakuş 2026 · source · register

  7. 2026-10-01 published T-068

    Rectangle-density lower bounds verified at 34 counts in n=19…95

    V3 C3 Lower bound confirmed on this case, superseded by T-090

    Hosono after Tokoharu, Levy, Stromquist, Nagamochi, Burns, Massaccesi · wand125 rectangle bounds 2026-10-01 · packet · source · review · register

  8. 2026-10-01 published T-074

    Rectangle-density lower bounds replayed at 31 counts in n=19…95

    V3 C3 Lower bound confirmed on this case, superseded by T-090

    Hosono after Tokoharu, Levy, Stromquist, Nagamochi, Burns, Massaccesi · wand125 rectangle bounds 2026-10-01 · packet · packet · source · review · register

  9. 2026-10-04 published T-090

    Mixed rectangle-measure lower bounds verified at 17 counts in n=42…96

    V3 C3 Lower bound confirmed

    Hosono after Tokoharu, Levy, Stromquist, Nagamochi, Burns, Massaccesi · wand125 mixed bounds 2026-10-04 · packet · source · review · register

  10. 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

  11. 2026-10-16 published T-203 this result

    Mixed rectangle-measure lower bound s(43)≥2777/400 reported, on a 2,073-direction declared net

    V0 C0 Lower bound recorded

    Hosono after Tokoharu and Levy · wand125 fine-net lower bounds 2026-10-16 · packet · register