Skip to main content
Log in

Optimally dense packings for fully asymptotic Coxeter tilings by horoballs of different types

  • Published:
Monatshefte für Mathematik Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to determine the optimal horoball packing arrangements and their densities for all four fully asymptotic Coxeter tilings (Coxeter honeycombs) in hyperbolic 3-space \({\mathbb{H}^3}\). Centers of horoballs are required to lie at vertices of the regular polyhedral cells constituting the tiling. We allow horoballs of different types at the various vertices. Our results are derived through a generalization of the projective methodology for hyperbolic spaces. The main result states that the known Böröczky–Florian density upper bound for “congruent horoball” packings of \({\mathbb{H}^3}\) remains valid for the class of fully asymptotic Coxeter tilings, even if packing conditions are relaxed by allowing for horoballs of different types under prescribed symmetry groups. The consequences of this remarkable result are discussed for various Coxeter tilings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bezdek K.: Sphere packings revisited. Eur. J. Combin. 27(6), 864–883 (2006)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. Bowen L., Radin C.: Optimally dense packings of hyperbolic space. Geom. Dedicata 104, 37–59 (2004)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  3. Böhm J., Hertel E.: Polyedergeometrie in n-dimensionalen Räumen konstanter Krümmung. Birkhäuser, Basel (1981)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  4. Böröczky K.: Packing of spheres in spaces of constant curvature. Acta Math. Acad. Sci. Hungar. 32, 243–261 (1978)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. Böröczky K., Florian A.: Über die dichteste Kugelpackung im hyperbolischen Raum. Acta Math. Acad. Sci. Hungar. 15, 237–245 (1964)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Coxeter H.S.M.: Regular honeycombs in hyperbolic space. Proc. Int. Congress Math. Amsterdam III, 155–169 (1954)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Dress A.W.M., Huson D.H., Molnár E.: The classification of face-transitive periodic three-dimensional tilings. Acta Crystallogr. A 49, 806–819 (1993)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. Fejes Tóth G., Kuperberg G., Kuperberg W.: Highly saturated packings and reduced coverings. Monatsh. Math. 125(2), 127–145 (1998)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  9. Kellerhals R.: The dilogarithm and volumes of hyperbolic polytopes. AMS Math. Surveys Monographs 37, 301–336 (1991)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  10. Kellerhals R.: Ball packings in spaces of constant curvature and the simplicial density function. Journal für reine und angewandte Mathematik 494, 189–203 (1998)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  11. Molnár E.: Klassifikation der hyperbolischen Dodekaederpflasterungen von flächentransitiven Bewegungsgruppen. Math. Pannonica 4(1), 113–136 (1993)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. Molnár E.: The projective interpretation of the eight 3-dimensional homogeneous geometries. Beiträge zur algebra und Geometrie 38(2), 261–288 (1997)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  13. Marshall T.H.: Asymptotic volume formulae and hyperbolic ball packing. Annales Academiæ Scientiarum Fennicæ: Mathematica 24, 31–43 (1999)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. Prekopa A.: The Revolution of Janos Bolyai. In: Prekopa, A., Molnar, E. (eds) Non-eucledian geometries., pp. 3–60. Springer, Berlin (2006)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  15. Radin C.: The symmetry of optimally dense packings. In: Prekopa, A., Molnar, E. (eds) Non-eucledian geometries., pp. 197–207. Springer, Berlin (2006)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  16. Szirmai J.: Flächentransitiven Lambert-Würfel-Typen und ihre optimale Kugelpackungen. Acta Math. Hungarica 100, 101–116 (2003)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  17. Szirmai J.: Horoball packings for the Lambert-cube tilings in the hyperbolic 3-space. Beiträge zur algebra und geometrie (contributions to algebra and geometry) 46(1), 43–60 (2005)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  18. Szirmai J.: The optimal ball and horoball packings of the Coxeter tilings in the hyperbolic 3-space. Beiträge zur Algebra und Geometrie (contributions to algebra and geometry) 46(2), 545–558 (2005)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  19. Szirmai J.: The regular p-gonal prism tilings and their optimal hyperball packings in the hyperbolic 3-space. Acta Math. Hungarica 111(1–2), 65–76 (2006)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. Szirmai J.: The regular prism tilings and their optimal hyperball packings in the hyperbolic n-space. Publ. Math. Debrecen Hungarica 69(1–2), 195–207 (2006)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  21. Szirmai J.: The optimal ball and horoball packings to the Coxeter honeycombs in the hyperbolic d-space. Beiträge zur algebra und geometrie 48(1), 35–47 (2007)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  22. Szirmai J.: The densest geodesic ball packing by a type of Nil lattices. Beiträge zur algebra und geometrie 48(2), 383–397 (2007)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  23. Szirmai, J.: The densest translation ball packing by fundamental lattices in Sol space. Beiträge zur algebra und geometrie (Contributions to Algebra and Geometry) (2010, to appear)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert Thijs Kozma.

Additional information

Communicated by A. Constantin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kozma, R.T., Szirmai, J. Optimally dense packings for fully asymptotic Coxeter tilings by horoballs of different types. Monatsh Math 168, 27–47 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00605-012-0393-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00605-012-0393-x

Keywords

Mathematics Subject Classification (2000)

Navigation