Squares in Circles

The following pictures show n squares packed inside a unit circle, so that the total sum of the sides of the squares is as large as possible.


1.            2.            3.
Σ s = √2 = 1.414+
Trivial.
Σ s = 4 / √5 = 1.788+
Trivial.
Σ s = 2.331+
Found by Erich Friedman
in June 2011.


4.            5.            6.
Σ s = 2√2 = 2.828+
Found by Erich Friedman
in June 2011.
Σ s = 3.204+
Found by Maurizio Morandi
in July 2011.
Σ s = 3.597+
Found by Maurizio Morandi
in July 2011.


7.            8.            9.
Σ s = (2√10 + √190) / 5 = 4.021+
Found by Erich Friedman
in June 2011.
Σ s = (10√2 + 5√10 + √190) / 10 = 4.373+
Found by Erich Friedman
in June 2011.
Σ s = (10√2 + 3√10) / 5 = 4.725+
Found by Erich Friedman
in June 2011.


10.            11.            12.
Σ s = 4.970+
Found by Erich Friedman
in June 2011.
Σ s = 5.185+
Found by Maurizio Morandi
in July 2011.
Σ s = 5.44255+
Found by Jonathan Viquerat
in June 2026.


13.            14.            15.
Σ s = 5.720+
Found by Maurizio Morandi
in August 2011.
Σ s = 6.005+
Found by Erich Friedman
in June 2011.
Σ s = 6.218+
Found by Maurizio Morandi
in July 2011.


16.            17.            18.
Σ s = 6.435+
Found by Maurizio Morandi
in July 2011.
Σ s = 6.61435+
Found by Jonathan Viquerat
in June 2026.
Σ s = 6.82745+
Found by Jonathan Viquerat
in June 2026.


19.            20.            21.
Σ s = 7.069+
Found by David W. Cantrell
in July 2011.
Σ s = 7.271+
Found by Maurizio Morandi
in July 2011.
Σ s = 7.473+
Found by Maurizio Morandi
in July 2011.


22.            23.            24.
Σ s = 7.66770+
Found by Haowei Lin
in July 2026.
Σ s = 7.86233+
Found by Jonathan Viquerat
in June 2026.
Σ s = 8.03235+
Found by Haowei Lin
in July 2026.


25.
Σ s = 8.20424+
Found by Haowei Lin
in July 2026.