Conclusion
Author: Eli Lechien
In mathematics, sometimes a problem that appears difficult can be solved in an incredibly simple manner when looked at from the right perspective. The sphere packing problem is the absolute opposite of this: it is easy to understand, but painfully difficult to prove. After centuries, mathematicians finally crumbled and formed a proof by exhaustion, proving Kepler’s conjecture. Though there is no satisfying proof; this story of pirates, copper coins, silver bars, and gold codes is not a dry one. After gaining this knowledge, one cannot help but do a double take next time he or she observes a face-centered cubic stack of cantaloupes at the store.
<-Applications of Higher Dimensional Packing
