Geometric packing problems involve arranging objects of given shapes within a confined region so as to maximise density, minimise wasted space or satisfy prescribed distance and balance constraints.

As an undergraduate at the University of Chile, Bernardo Subercaseaux took a dim view of using computers to do math. It seemed antithetical to real intellectual discovery. “There’s some instinct or ...

While this three-step process is the ideal process of applied math, reality is more complicated. Once I reach the second step where I want the solution of the math problem, very often, if not most of ...

After a long day packing crates full of boxes full of smaller boxes full of identical toys, the shipping manager suddenly races over to reveal a problem. “One of the crates you packed has the wrong ...

In September 2019, news broke regarding progress on this 82-year-old question, thanks to prolific mathematician Terence Tao. And while the story of Tao's breakthrough is promising, the problem isn't ...

As an undergraduate at the University of Chile, Bernardo Subercaseaux took a dim view of using computers to do math. It seemed antithetical to real intellectual discovery. “There’s some instinct or ...