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DisprovedGeometry·2025

The Noperthedron

First convex polyhedron (90 vertices) proven to NOT have Rupert's property — cannot pass through itself.

Formula

Rupert property
P is Rupert    tunnel through P admitting a copy of PP\text{ is Rupert}\;\Longleftrightarrow\;\exists\,\text{tunnel through }P\text{ admitting a copy of }P

A convex body is Rupert if a congruent copy can pass through a hole cut straight through it.

Noperthedron existence
P convex polytope:  P is not Rupert\exists\,P\text{ convex polytope}:\;P\text{ is not Rupert}

Confirmed in 2024: a convex polyhedron exists that cannot pass through itself — settling a question open since Nieuwland's 1950s work.

Passage width criterion
maxθwidth(projθP)>minθcross-section(P,θ)\max_\theta \operatorname{width}(\operatorname{proj}_\theta P) > \min_\theta \operatorname{cross\text{-}section}(P,\theta)

Rupert requires a projection direction where the silhouette fits inside some cross-section — the noperthedron violates this.

Summary

Rupert's property: a convex body can pass a copy of itself through a straight hole cut inside itself. All Platonic solids have it. The 2017 conjecture claimed ALL convex polyhedra do. Steininger and Yurkevich constructed a 90-vertex polyhedron that provably does not, settling a 300-year-old question.

Sources

Videos