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Nature 460, 780 (13 August 2009) | doi:10.1038/7257780a; Published online 12 August 2009

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Making the paper: Salvatore Torquato

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A theory for packing the classic three-dimensional solids.

The problem of packing solid objects as closely together as possible has long fascinated mathematicians. In 1611, German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler proposed that the densest packing for spheres was in a lattice — as a grocer stacks a pyramid of oranges.

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