In a Day’s work? The origins of outer billiards | Synapse
April 10, 2026
In a Day’s work? The origins of outer billiards
Key Points
This research aims to trace the origins of outer billiards and highlight key theoretical developments.
Review of historical texts on outer billiards
Reproduction of B. H. Neumann's 1959 colloquium summary
Analysis of theoretical contributions
Presents the earliest known works on outer billiards
Summarizes key highlights from Neumann's colloquium
Sheds light on foundational theoretical aspects of outer billiards
Abstract
Abstract An account of the earliest known works on outer billiards is accompanied by a reproduction of the summary of B. H. Neumann’s 1959 colloquium and some highlights from the theory.