I want to draw the Desargues configuration $10_3$ in LaTeX using the standard picture environment, which allows only lines with the slopes $n:m$ where $\max\{|n|,|m|\}\le 6$. Is it possible? If not, then what is the smallest number $s$ for which there exists a drawing of the Desargues configuration $10_3$ in which all lines have slopes $n:m$ with $\max\{|n|,|m|\}\le s$? And for this smallest $s$, what is the smallest number $c$ for which there exists a drawing of the Desargues configuration $10_3$ in which all lines have slopes $n:m$ with $\max\{|n|,|m|\}\le s$ and all points have integer coordinates $(x,y)$ with $\max\{|x|,|y|\}\le c$?
Asked
Active
Viewed 343 times
6

Taras Banakh
- 40,791
-
1Is this image OK? – Alex Ravsky Jul 28 '23 at 16:29
-
1Perhaps you'll get more replies on TeX SE: https://tex.stackexchange.com/ – Max Muller Jul 28 '23 at 16:42
-
@AlexRavsky Yes, Sasha, it is perfect: uses only lines with slopes $(n,m)$ where $\max{|n|,|m|}\le 2$, which is probably the best possible. And the coordinates are also small. Very good. Please write down this as an answer and I will accept. – Taras Banakh Jul 28 '23 at 16:49
-
1Done........... – Alex Ravsky Jul 28 '23 at 17:31
1 Answers
10
This example shows that $s\le 2$ and for this $s$, $c\le 3$. Note that we are lucky with the latter, because there is a configuration for which every combinatorially equivalent realization has at least one irrational number as one of its coordinates.

Alex Ravsky
- 4,102
-
2Such a simple and beautiful drawing of the classical Desargue configuration! It is strange that Google does not find it is the Internet... – Taras Banakh Jul 28 '23 at 18:12