In 1998 Thomas Hales dramatically announced
the solution of a problem which has long teased
eminent mathematicians: what is the densest
possible arrangement of identical spheres? In this
book Denis Weaire and Tomaso Aste recount the
story of this problem and many others which have
to do with packing things together. The examples
range through mathematics, physics, biology and
engineering; they include the arrangement of
soap bubbles in a foam, atoms in a crystal, the
architecture of the bee's honeycomb, and the
structure of the Giant's Causeway. While
conveying all of the essential information in each
case, with key references, the style is informal.
Included are brief accounts of the lives of many of
the scientists who devoted themselves to
problems of packing over many centuries,
together with wry comments on their efforts. It is
an entertaining introduction to the field for both
specialists and the more general public.
