Moser's worm problem

proper noun

An unsolved problem asking for the region of smallest area that can accommodate every plane curve of length 1, i.e. the curve can be rotated and translated to fit inside the region (which in some variations of the problem is restricted to be convex).

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. geometryAn unsolved problem asking for the region of smallest area that can accommodate every plane curve of length 1, i.e. the curve can be rotated and translated to fit inside the region (which in some variations of the problem is restricted to be convex).

Origin

Formulated by the Austrian-Canadian mathematician Leo Moser in 1966.

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Cite this entry
APA

Moser's worm problem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Moser's%20worm%20problem

MLA

“Moser's worm problem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Moser's%20worm%20problem. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Moser's worm problem,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Moser's%20worm%20problem.

Source: Moser's worm problem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.