The Honeycomb Conjecture in normed planes and an alpha-convex variant of a theorem of Dowker

Abstract: The Honeycomb Conjecture states that among tilings with unit area cells in the Euclidean plane, the average perimeter of a cell is minimal for a regular hexagonal tiling. This conjecture was proved by L. Fejes T\'oth for convex tilings, and by Hales for not necessarily convex tilings. In this paper we investigate the same question for tilings of a given normed plane, and show that among normal, convex tilings in a normed plane, the average squared perimeter of a cell is minimal for a tiling whose cells are translates of a centrally symmetric hexagon. We also show that the question whether the same statement is true for the average perimeter of a cell is closely related to an $\alpha$-convex variant of a theorem of Dowker on the area of polygons circumscribed about a convex disk. Exploring this connection we find families of norms in which the average perimeter of a cell of a tiling is minimal for a hexagonal tiling, and prove some additonal related results. Finally, we apply our method to give a partial answer to a problem of Steinhaus about the isoperimetric ratios of cells of certain tilings in the Euclidean plane, appeared in an open problem book of Croft, Falconer and Guy.