Related papers: Symmetry, shape, and order
We investigate the problem of packing identical hard objects on regular lattices in d dimensions. Restricting configuration space to parallel alignment of the objects, we study the densest packing at a given aspect ratio X. For rectangles…
We present a new numerical scheme to study systems of non-convex, irregular, and punctured particles in an efficient manner. We employ this method to analyze regular packings of odd-shaped bodies, not only from a nanoparticle but also both…
Packing problems, which ask how to arrange a collection of objects in space to meet certain criteria, are important in a great many physical and biological systems, where geometrical arrangements at small scales control behaviour at larger…
We construct the densest known two-dimensional packings of superdisks in the plane whose shapes are defined by |x^(2p) + y^(2p)| <= 1, which contains both convex-shaped particles (p > 0.5, with the circular-disk case p = 1) and…
This is the second in a series of papers giving a proof of the Kepler conjecture, which asserts that the density of a packing of congruent spheres in three dimensions is never greater than $\pi/\sqrt{18}\approx 0.74048...$. This is the…
This is the eighth and final paper in a series giving a proof of the Kepler conjecture, which asserts that the density of a packing of congruent spheres in three dimensions is never greater than $\pi/\sqrt{18}\approx 0.74048...$. This is…
Questions surrounding the spatial disposition of particles in various condensed-matter systems continue to pose many theoretical challenges. This paper explores the geometric availability of amorphous many-particle configurations that…
It is commonly believed that the most efficient way to pack a finite number of equal-sized spheres is by arranging them tightly in a cluster. However, mathematicians have conjectured that a linear arrangement may actually result in the…
Connecting the collective behavior of disordered systems with local structure on the particle scale is an important challenge, for example in granular and glassy systems. Compounding complexity, in many scientific and industrial…
A collection of thin structures buckle, bend, and bump into each-other when confined. This contact can lead to the formation of patterns: hair will self-organize in curls; DNA strands will layer into cell nuclei; paper, when crumpled, will…
We show that the optimal packing of hard spheres in an infinitely long cylinder yields structures characterised by a screw symmetry. Each packing can be assembled by stacking a basic unit cell ad infinitum along the length of the cylinder…
We numerically study structural properties of mechanically stable packings of hard spheres (HS), in a wide range of packing fractions $0.53 \le \phi \le 0.72$. Detailed structural information is obtained from the analysis of orientational…
This is the first in a series of papers giving a proof of the Kepler conjecture, which asserts that the density of a packing of congruent spheres in three dimensions is never greater than $\pi/\sqrt{18}\approx 0.74048...$. This is the…
In the classic circle packing problem, one asks whether a given set of circles can be packed into a given container. Packing problems like this have been shown to be $\mathsf{NP}$-hard. In this paper, we present new sufficient conditions…
Jammed disordered packings of non-spherical particles show significant variation in the packing density as a function of particle shape for a given packing protocol. Rotationally symmetric elongated shapes such as ellipsoids,…
All hard, convex shapes are conjectured by Ulam to pack more densely than spheres, which have a maximum packing fraction of {\phi} = {\pi}/\sqrt18 ~ 0.7405. For many shapes, simple lattice packings easily surpass this packing fraction. For…
An ellipsoid, the simplest non-spherical shape, has been extensively used as models for elongated building blocks for a wide spectrum of molecular, colloidal and granular systems. Yet the densest packing of congruent hard ellipsoids, which…
We study the optimal packing of hard spheres in an infinitely long cylinder, using simulated annealing, and compare our results with the analogous problem of packing disks on the unrolled surface of a cylinder. The densest structures are…
The problem of packing a system of particles as densely as possible is foundational in the field of discrete geometry and is a powerful model in the material and biological sciences. As packing problems retreat from the reach of solution by…
Since the 1920s, packing arguments have been used to rationalize crystal structures in systems ranging from atomic mixtures to colloidal crystals. Packing arguments have recently been applied to complex nanoparticle structures, where they…