this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] Zehzin@lemmy.world 202 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

You got nothing on the 17 square packing

[–] OrnateLuna@lemmy.blahaj.zone 23 points 1 year ago (3 children)
[–] Enkers@sh.itjust.works 78 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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 1 year ago (2 children)

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

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year 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 1 year ago

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

[–] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year ago

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

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 37 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 55 points 1 year 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 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year ago
[–] datelmd5sum@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] nephs@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 year ago

The bestagons.

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[–] veganpizza69@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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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