this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] Zehzin@lemmy.world 202 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

You got nothing on the 17 square packing

[–] OrnateLuna@lemmy.blahaj.zone 23 points 4 months ago (3 children)
[–] Enkers@sh.itjust.works 78 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

This is the most efficient (known) packing of 17 unit squares inside a square. If you're asking why it's like that, that's above my math proficiency level.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_packing

See also: https://kingbird.myphotos.cc/packing/squares_in_squares.html

[–] Colonel_Panic_@lemm.ee 9 points 4 months ago (2 children)

It's like that because the universe wants us to suffer.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

No, suffering would be if it were always the same predictable pattern in everything all the time.

[–] Colonel_Panic_@lemm.ee 4 points 4 months ago

True. You can't have joy without suffering, light without dark, cars without an extended warranty.

[–] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

If God was real / or is real and cared, we would have a perfect 336 day year.

[–] Colonel_Panic_@lemm.ee 1 points 4 months ago

If God was real the boxes would all fit in a nice grid for any square container. But the OP already has the conclusion for that one.

[–] tooLikeTheNope@lemmy.ml 8 points 4 months ago

Thanks I've lost 30 sanity points now, and I'm now sure with a number of squares sufficently high s is gonna equal to cthulu.

[–] Artyom@lemm.ee 34 points 4 months ago

We've figured out optimal packing methods for any number of squares inside a big square. When a number is below and near a square number like 15, you just leave an empty box, but when it's far from the next square number, you'll be able to pack them more efficiently than just leaving empty squares around. Turns out this kind of stuff is hilariously hard to prove that it's the most efficient method.

[–] nephs@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 4 months ago

Mathematics actually hates humanity, and it likes to remind us of it, sometimes. That's why.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 37 points 4 months ago (2 children)
[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 55 points 4 months ago

This is about the most efficient way to pack that number of circles. By looking at the bottom row of the 49, you can see that it's slightly less wide than 7 diameters, because it has 5 circles at the very bottom (taking up 5 diameters of width), but two are slightly raised, which also means they're slightly inward.

[–] hsdkfr734r@feddit.nl 35 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

How?

Yes, if you push the circles down a bit, it forms a 7 by 7 matrix. But if pushing the circles into a square matrix is not allowed: how?

Edit: I get it now. It is about (efficient) packing not about counting. I also get the 4th panel now...

[–] magic_lobster_party@kbin.run 66 points 4 months ago (1 children)

7 by 7 matrix isn’t the optimal packing. The square shown is slightly smaller than 7 by 7.

[–] hsdkfr734r@feddit.nl 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Thanks. I thought it was about counting. It all makes a lot more sense now. (And it also doesn't.)

[–] mexicancartel@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah it can fit almost 7 in a line in the last panel so theese definitely aren't the same squares(or circles)

[–] apotheotic@beehaw.org 21 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

These are optimal packings of n circles in a square container of the smallest size that will contain them

[–] mexicancartel@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)

So it is fitting the 49 in smallest square and not fitting as many circles as possible in given square? Okay that makes sense

[–] apotheotic@beehaw.org 7 points 4 months ago
[–] datelmd5sum@lemmy.world 32 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

I mean it makes sense when you think about how the circles arrange in an infinte square and e.g. 4r square. There has to be some fuckery between the perfect packing and the small square packing. You can see a triangle of almost perfect packing in the middle of the 49 circle square, surrounded by fault lines in the structure and then some more good packing, and garbage in the bottom.

slightly related Steve Mould video

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago

Or, they could do 6x8 with one obviously extra at the end. But this is a funny not a rational thing.

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[–] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 10 points 4 months ago (2 children)
[–] nephs@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 4 months ago

The bestagons.

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[–] _different_username@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago
[–] veganpizza69@lemmy.world 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

This is the kind of stuff the timber mafia needs to know so that they can efficiently pack trees and send them to IKEA.

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