On a lattice problem of H. Steinhaus

Abstract

It is shown that there is a subset <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper S"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>S</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">S</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> of <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="double-struck upper R squared"> <mml:semantics> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="double-struck">R</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbb {R}^2</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> such that each isometric copy of <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="double-struck upper Z squared"> <mml:semantics> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="double-struck">Z</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbb {Z}^2</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> (the lattice points in the plane) meets <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper S"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>S</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">S</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> in exactly one point. This provides a positive answer to a problem of H. Steinhaus.