Computer News: The chore of packing just got faster and easier

[bob_turner]

In 1611, Johannes Kepler — known for his laws of planetary motion — offered a solution to the question concerning the densest possible way to arrange equal-sized spheres. The famed astronomer took on this problem when asked how to stack cannonballs so as to take up the least amount of space. Kepler concluded that the best configuration is a so-called face-centered cubic lattice — an approach commonly used in grocery stores for displaying oranges: Every cannonball should rest in the cavity...

Read more