Sphere Packing - Hyperbolic Space

Hyperbolic Space

Although the concept of circles and spheres can be extended to hyperbolic space, finding the densest packing becomes much more difficult. In a hyperbolic space there is no limit to the number of spheres that can surround another sphere (for example, Ford circles can be thought of as an arrangement of identical hyperbolic circles in which each circle is surrounded by an infinite number of other circles). The concept of average density also becomes much more difficult to define accurately. The densest packings in any hyperbolic space are almost always irregular.

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Famous quotes containing the word space:

    There is commonly sufficient space about us. Our horizon is never quite at our elbows.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)