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Minimal-energy clusters of hard spheres

  • Published: 01 October 1995
  • Volume 14, pages 237–259, (1995)
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Discrete & Computational Geometry Aims and scope Submit manuscript
Minimal-energy clusters of hard spheres
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  • N. J. A. Sloane1,
  • R. H. Hardin1,
  • T. D. S. Duff1 &
  • …
  • J. H. Conway2 
  • 1644 Accesses

  • 109 Citations

  • 3 Altmetric

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Abstract

What is the tightest packing ofN equal nonoverlapping spheres, in the sense of having minimal energy, i.e., smallest second moment about the centroid? The putatively optimal arrangements are described forN≤32. A number of new and interesting polyhedra arise.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mathematical Sciences Research Center, AT & T Bell Laboratories, 07974, Murray Hill, NJ, USA

    N. J. A. Sloane, R. H. Hardin & T. D. S. Duff

  2. Mathematics Department, Princeton University, 08544, Princeton, NJ, USA

    J. H. Conway

Authors
  1. N. J. A. Sloane
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  2. R. H. Hardin
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  3. T. D. S. Duff
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  4. J. H. Conway
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Sloane, N.J.A., Hardin, R.H., Duff, T.D.S. et al. Minimal-energy clusters of hard spheres. Discrete & Computational Geometry 14, 237–259 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02570704

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  • Received: 16 March 1994

  • Revised: 13 January 1995

  • Published: 01 October 1995

  • Issue date: October 1995

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02570704

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Keywords

  • Hard Sphere
  • Discrete Comput Geom
  • Optimal Arrangement
  • Convex Polyhedron
  • Pentagonal Bipyramid

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