Emil PerssonOct 20
lotus
I hadn't seen anyone post this yet so here is a late cursed #mechanicon find.
this was my favorite design, referencing the most ~~cursed~~ efficient way to pack 17 squares.
Oct 18 at 1:46pmWeb
Show thread"Musty Bits" McGeeOct 18
@nojus hrrrrnggg
Show threadS T E L L A R  Oct 18
@nojus this has to go to a museum
Show threadEin WesenOct 18
@nojus I love it!
Show threadaburka 🫣Oct 18
@nojus do want
Show thread4 "actually its only pyromania if i do it again" censord Oct 18
@nojus hehe that sounds like something @foone would ~~enjoy~~ hate very much
Show threadLog 🪵Oct 18
@nojus I don't know whether it's worse that this exists or that I recognized the packing arrangement before reading the text.
Show threadLilacOct 18
@nojus square packing by beloved!
Show threadbison ✅Oct 18
@nojus cc @operative
Show threadAirelle 🕸Oct 18
@nojus With a 1U [0] and 1U [Enter], you could have had a fully functional numpad.
Show threadsynlogic4242Oct 18
@nojus if a LLM designed a keyboard!
Show threadrobinhoustonOct 18
@nojus Efficiency is so beautiful
Show threadHelgeOct 18

According to this article from 2009, the most efficient way to pack 17 squares into a square is still unknown.

Has there been a development since John Bidwell?

Show threadFedix Oct 18
@helge @nojus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_packing
Square packing - Wikipedia

Show threadIn #Flancia we'll meetOct 21

@realFedix @helge @nojus thanks, that says:

> The smallest case where the best known packing involves squares at three different angles is
n = 17.
> It was discovered in 1998 by John Bidwell, an undergraduate student at the University of Hawaiʻi, and has side length a ≈ 4.6756.

I wonder what Helge meant with 'since Bidwell'? Maybe that this is not proven to be optimal?

Show threadHelgeOct 22

I wonder what Helge meant with 'since Bidwell'? Maybe that this is not proven to be optimal?

Simple answer: Yes. Bidwell's result is not proven to be optimal.

If you look at the survey, I linked, in particular the appendix, you discover that 4.445 < s(17) < 4.6757. Where s(17) is the optimal number for a 17 circle packing.

I am unsure how much computers have improved. My naive expectation would be that if somebody reimplemented the algorithm from here and wasted some money, they would get a better packing.

Show threadsodiboo Oct 18
@nojus but two of those keys are not as squares at all!! that's not square packing! that's rectangle packing!
Show threadKaiiak ;(Ж)"Oct 18
@sodiboo @nojus
What is a Rectangle but a many square...
Show threadmemo 📎Oct 18
@sodiboo @nojus sodi square shaming smh 
Show threadDavid NashOct 18
@nojus Is that really that much worse than the default keybindings for vim, which have cursor left-down-up-right all in a straight line, in that order?
Show threadFabianOct 18
@nojus thanks, I hate it.
Show threadAoi_X_KaizakiOct 18
@nojus That's good for someone with Arthritis.
Show threaddasgrueneblattOct 18
@nojus 🤩
Show threadCoraxOct 18
@nojus This is genius. I love it. Now get that abomination out of my sight, please :)
Show threadGreg BellOct 18
@nojus @emaytch this numpad needs braces 🦷
Show threadpoleguy looking for lost toolsOct 18
@nojus I can't find one for sale. Hmmm.
Show threadSimonOct 18
@nojus aaaaaaah
Show threadauserOct 19
@nojus At least the numbers are in order
Show threadHead·word /ˈhedˌwɜː(ɹ)d/ n.Oct 19

@nojus I just had a terrible idea ...

(anyone who wants to run with it or build on it, feel free to steal it)

Show threadWormOct 21
@headword @nojus really loving the few letters that fell on the wrong row
Show threadJohanna JaniszewskiOct 19
@nojus it's nasty, I love it!
Show threadvarx/socialOct 19

@nojus Oh man, it *really* bothers me that they kept the double-size 0 and Enter when they could have made them square and keep the * and / keys... There are already 17 keys on a numpad!

Maybe that's part of the point, though.

Show threadMax WainwrightOct 19
@nojus i want one. I want to teach my hand to use it
Show threadralenOct 19
@nojus it could have been 4x4 square if 0 was a single square
or 3x5 if enter would too
Show threadRifterOct 19
@nojus this made me physically recoil in fear congratulations
Show threadjohnny anhedonicOct 19
@nojus this design is... optimal
Show threadMay Keable 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️Oct 20
@nojus I was half expecting this to be a Foone build.
Show threadL1Q 🇺🇦Nov 15
@nojus found it https://kbbd.notion.site/SP17-21f5a54918cf803ea283ddb18d39a923
https://github.com/dinobx/sp17
SP17 | Notion

SP17 is a silly little macropad based on the optimal solution for packing 17 equal squares into the smallest possible bounding square.

kbbd on Notion