The pursuit of perfect packing

Denis Weaire, Tomaso Aste0750306483, 9780750306485, 9781420033311, 0750306475

In 1998 Thomas Hales dramatically announced the solution of a problem which has long teased eminent mathematicians: what is the densest possible arrangement of identical spheres? In this book Denis Weaire and Tomaso Aste recount the story of this problem and many others which have to do with packing things together. The examples range through mathematics, physics, biology and engineering; they include the arrangement of soap bubbles in a foam, atoms in a crystal, the architecture of the bee’s honeycomb, and the structure of the Giant’s Causeway. While conveying all of the essential information in each case, with key references, the style is informal. Included are brief accounts of the lives of many of the scientists who devoted themselves to problems of packing over many centuries, together with wry comments on their efforts. It is an entertaining introduction to the field for both specialists and the more general public.

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Table of contents :
PRELIMS……Page 1
page 2……Page 2
page 3……Page 3
page 4……Page 4
page 5……Page 5
page 6……Page 6
page 7……Page 7
page 8……Page 8
page 9……Page 9
page 10……Page 10
page 11……Page 11
PRELIMS……Page 12
page 2……Page 13
page 3……Page 14
page 4……Page 15
PRELIMS……Page 16
page 2……Page 17
page 3……Page 18
page 4……Page 19
page 5……Page 20
page 6……Page 21
page 7……Page 22
page 8……Page 23
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page 10……Page 25
page 11……Page 26
page 12……Page 27
page 13……Page 28
page 14……Page 29
page 15……Page 30
PRELIMS……Page 31
page 2……Page 32
page 3……Page 33
page 4……Page 34
page 5……Page 35
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page 7……Page 37
page 8……Page 38
page 9……Page 39
page 10……Page 40
page 11……Page 41
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page 15……Page 45
PRELIMS……Page 46
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PRELIMS……Page 65
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PRELIMS……Page 86
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PRELIMS……Page 102
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PRELIMS……Page 124
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PRELIMS……Page 144
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