Unfolding Solid Polycubes

A solid polycube is a face-connected set of unit cubes, where, unlike classical definitions for polycubes, shared faces between adjacent cubes are not removed. We prove by mathematical induction that any such polycube can be edge-unfolded into a 2D net without refinement. Our proof relies on the concept of a perfect net, defined as a net in which two designated edges are placed on the far left and far right sides. This configuration enables consistent gluing of nets in a single direction throughout the induction process, thereby guaranteeing that no overlaps occur at any step.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science
Published
2026-06-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.46298/dmtcs.16116
Primary Topic
Advanced Materials and Mechanics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Unfolding Solid Polycubes

Éric Andrès, Gaëlle Largeteau-Skapin, Bastien Harismendy, Tom da Silva
Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science
Advanced Materials and Mechanics
article

Unfolding Solid Polycubes

Éric Andrès, Gaëlle Largeteau-Skapin, Bastien Harismendy, Tom da Silva
article en

Abstract

A solid polycube is a face-connected set of unit cubes, where, unlike classical definitions for polycubes, shared faces between adjacent cubes are not removed. We prove by mathematical induction that any such polycube can be edge-unfolded into a 2D net without refinement. Our proof relies on the concept of a perfect net, defined as a net in which two designated edges are placed on the far left and far right sides. This configuration enables consistent gluing of nets in a single direction throughout the induction process, thereby guaranteeing that no overlaps occur at any step.

Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer ScienceVol. vol. 28:2(Discrete Algorithms)
XLIM (FR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 100%
Advanced Materials and Mechanics
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.