# illumination problem

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A mathematical problem, asking whether a room with mirrored walls can always be illuminated by a single-point light source, allowing for repeated reflection of light off the mirrored walls. It was solved in 1958: there are such rooms that cannot be thus illuminated.

## Etymology
From illumination + problem.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/illumination-problem