On the enumeration of integer tetrahedra

Abstract

We consider the problem of enumerating integer tetrahedra of fixed perimeter (sum of side-lengths) and/or diameter (maximum side-length), up to congruence. As we will see, this problem is considerably more difficult than the corresponding problem for triangles, which has long been solved. We expect there are no closed-form solutions to the tetrahedron enumeration problems, but we explore the extent to which they can be approached via classical methods, such as orbit enumeration. We also discuss algorithms for computing the numbers, and present several tables and figures that can be used to visualise the data. Several intriguing patterns seem to emerge, leading to a number of natural conjectures. The central conjecture is that the number of integer tetrahedra of perimeter n, up to congruence, is asymptotic to n5/C for some constant C≈229000.