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You can even find infinitely many such points on the unit circle: Let $\mathscr S$ be the set of all points on the unit circle such that $\tan \left(\frac {\theta}4\right)\in \mathbb Q$. If $(\cos(\alpha),\sin(\alpha))$ and $(\cos(\beta),\sin(\beta))$ are two points on the circle then a little geometry tells us that the distance between them is (the absolute value of) $$2 \sin \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)-2 \sin \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)$$ and, if the points points are both in $\mathscr S$ then this is rational.

Details: The distance formula is an immediate consequence of the fact that, if two points on the circle have an angle $\phi$ between them, then the distance between them is (the absolute value of) $2\sin \frac {\phi}2$. For the rationality note that $$z=\tan \frac {\phi}2 \implies \cos \phi= \frac {1-z^2}{1+z^2} \quad \& \quad \sin \phi= \frac {2z}{1+z^2}$$

Note: Of course $\mathscr S$ is dense on the circle. So far as I am aware, it is unknown whether you can find such a set which is dense on the entire plane.

You can even find infinitely many such points on the unit circle: Let $\mathscr S$ be the set of all points on the unit circle such that $\tan \left(\frac {\theta}4\right)\in \mathbb Q$. If $(\cos(\alpha),\sin(\alpha))$ and $(\cos(\beta),\sin(\beta))$ are two points on the circle then a little geometry tells us that the distance between them is (the absolute value of) $$2 \sin \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)-2 \sin \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)$$ and, if the points points are both in $\mathscr S$ then this is rational.

Details: The distance formula is an immediate consequence of the fact that, if two points on the circle have an angle $\phi$ between them, then the distance between them is (the absolute value of) $2\sin \frac {\phi}2$. For the rationality note that $$z=\tan \frac {\phi}2 \implies \cos \phi= \frac {1-z^2}{1+z^2} \quad \& \quad \sin \phi= \frac {2z}{1+z^2}$$

Note: Of course $\mathscr S$ is dense on the circle. So far as I am aware, it is unknown whether you can find such a set which is dense on the entire plane.

You can even find infinitely many such points on the unit circle: Let $\mathscr S$ be the set of all points on the unit circle such that $\tan \left(\frac {\theta}4\right)\in \mathbb Q$. If $(\cos(\alpha),\sin(\alpha))$ and $(\cos(\beta),\sin(\beta))$ are two points on the circle then a little geometry tells us that the distance between them is (the absolute value of) $$2 \sin \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)-2 \sin \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)$$ and, if the points are both in $\mathscr S$ then this is rational.

Details: The distance formula is an immediate consequence of the fact that, if two points on the circle have an angle $\phi$ between them, then the distance between them is (the absolute value of) $2\sin \frac {\phi}2$. For the rationality note that $$z=\tan \frac {\phi}2 \implies \cos \phi= \frac {1-z^2}{1+z^2} \quad \& \quad \sin \phi= \frac {2z}{1+z^2}$$

Note: Of course $\mathscr S$ is dense on the circle. So far as I am aware, it is unknown whether you can find such a set which is dense on the entire plane.

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lulu
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  • 128

You can even find infinitely many such points on the unit circle: Let $\mathscr S$ be the set of all points on the unit circle such that $\tan \left(\frac {\theta}4\right)\in \mathbb Q$. If $(\cos(\alpha),\sin(\alpha))$ and $(\cos(\beta),\sin(\beta))$ are two points on the circle then a little geometry tells us that the distance between them is (the absolute value of) $$2 \sin \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)-2 \sin \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)$$ and, if the points points are both in $\mathscr S$ then this is rational.

Details: The distance formula is an immediate consequence of the fact that, if two points on the circle have an angle $\phi$ between them, then the distance between them is (the absolute value of) $2\sin \frac {\phi}2$. For the rationality note that $$z=\tan \frac {\phi}2 \implies \cos \phi= \frac {1-z^2}{1+z^2} \quad \& \quad \sin \phi= \frac {2z}{1+z^2}$$

Note: Of course $\mathscr S$ is dense on the circle. So far as I am aware, it is unknown whether you can find such a set which is dense on the entire plane.

You can even find infinitely many such points on the unit circle: Let $\mathscr S$ be the set of all points on the unit circle such that $\tan \left(\frac {\theta}4\right)\in \mathbb Q$. If $(\cos(\alpha),\sin(\alpha))$ and $(\cos(\beta),\sin(\beta))$ are two points on the circle then a little geometry tells us that the distance between them is (the absolute value of) $$2 \sin \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)-2 \sin \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)$$ and, if the points points are both in $\mathscr S$ then this is rational.

Note: Of course $\mathscr S$ is dense on the circle. So far as I am aware, it is unknown whether you can find such a set which is dense on the entire plane.

You can even find infinitely many such points on the unit circle: Let $\mathscr S$ be the set of all points on the unit circle such that $\tan \left(\frac {\theta}4\right)\in \mathbb Q$. If $(\cos(\alpha),\sin(\alpha))$ and $(\cos(\beta),\sin(\beta))$ are two points on the circle then a little geometry tells us that the distance between them is (the absolute value of) $$2 \sin \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)-2 \sin \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)$$ and, if the points points are both in $\mathscr S$ then this is rational.

Details: The distance formula is an immediate consequence of the fact that, if two points on the circle have an angle $\phi$ between them, then the distance between them is (the absolute value of) $2\sin \frac {\phi}2$. For the rationality note that $$z=\tan \frac {\phi}2 \implies \cos \phi= \frac {1-z^2}{1+z^2} \quad \& \quad \sin \phi= \frac {2z}{1+z^2}$$

Note: Of course $\mathscr S$ is dense on the circle. So far as I am aware, it is unknown whether you can find such a set which is dense on the entire plane.

Source Link
lulu
  • 71.7k
  • 5
  • 80
  • 128

You can even find infinitely many such points on the unit circle: Let $\mathscr S$ be the set of all points on the unit circle such that $\tan \left(\frac {\theta}4\right)\in \mathbb Q$. If $(\cos(\alpha),\sin(\alpha))$ and $(\cos(\beta),\sin(\beta))$ are two points on the circle then a little geometry tells us that the distance between them is (the absolute value of) $$2 \sin \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)-2 \sin \left(\frac {\beta}2\right)\cos \left(\frac {\alpha}2\right)$$ and, if the points points are both in $\mathscr S$ then this is rational.

Note: Of course $\mathscr S$ is dense on the circle. So far as I am aware, it is unknown whether you can find such a set which is dense on the entire plane.