1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910780301503321

Autore

Hsiang Wu Yi <1937->

Titolo

Least action principle of crystal formation of dense packing type and the proof of Kepler's conjecture [[electronic resource] /] / Hsiang, Wu-Yi

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Singapore ; ; River Edge, NJ, : World Scientific, 2001

ISBN

1-281-86970-8

9786611869700

981-238-491-X

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (425 p.)

Collana

Nankai tracts in mathematics

Disciplina

511/.6

516

Soggetti

Kepler's conjecture

Sphere packings

Crystallography, Mathematical

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references.

Nota di contenuto

Contents; Foreword; Acknowledgment; List of Symbols; Chapter 1 Introduction; Chapter 2 The Basics of Euclidean and Spherical Geometries and a New Proof of the Problem of Thirteen Spheres; Chapter 3 Circle Packings and Sphere Packings; Chapter 4 Geometry of Local Cells and Specific Volume Estimation Techniques for Local Cells; Chapter 5 Estimates of Total Buckling Height; Chapter 6 The Proof of the Dodecahedron Conjecture; Chapter 7 Geometry of Type I Configurations and Local Extensions; Chapter 8 The Proof of Main Theorem I; Chapter 9 Retrospects and Prospects; References; Index

Sommario/riassunto

The dense packing of microscopic spheres (i.e. atoms) is the basic geometric arrangement in crystals of mono-atomic elements with weak covalent bonds, which achieves the optimal ""known density"" of p/v18. In 1611, Johannes Kepler had already ""conjectured"" that p/v18 should be the optimal ""density"" of sphere packings. Thus, the central problems in the study of sphere packings are the proof of Kepler's conjecture that p/v18 is the optimal density, and the establishing of the least action principle that the hexagonal dense packings in crystals



are the geometric consequence of optimization of