Optimization of packing problems
PD Dr. Johannes J. Schneider (Universität Mainz)

The problem of determining a spatial arrangement or even the densest packing of hard disks and spheres is often studied, as these systems are widely used in physics as simple two- and three- dimensional models for granular matter, colloidal systems, fiber-reinforced composites, and molecular crystals. As an example, the densest closed packing of hard disks with proposed integer radii in a circular environment shall be considered.
In my talk, I will describe the optimization algorithm, with which all world records established in an international contest in competition between 155 groups from 32 countries could be either matched or beaten. This result gained a lot of attention from journalists, leading even to the Time Magazine rating this algorithm as one of the 50 best inventions of the year 2009.
In my talk, I will present results for the dynamics of the optimization process as well as for the properties of groundstates and quasi optimum solutions.