Geometry
Geometry of discrete space
A phase transition creates the geometry of the continuum from discrete space, but it needs disorder if it is to have the right metric.
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Physical Review ETFThe London Institute’s papers are the official record of our discoveries. They allow others to build on and apply our work. Each one is the result of many months of research, so we strive to make them clear, inspiring and beautiful, and publish them in leading journals.
Inference
Grain shape inference
The distributions of size and shape of a material’s grains can be constructed from a 2D slice of the material and electron diffraction data.
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Physical Review MaterialsZVMHEG
Theory of innovation
Serendipity and strategy
In systems of innovation, the relative usefulness of different components changes as the number of components we possess increases.
TFMR
RFRP
Nature CommunicationsMRRFRP
Sphere packing
3d grains from 2d slices
Moment-based methods provide a simple way to describe a population of spherical particles and extract 3d information from 2d measurements.
RFVHMH
Mineralogical MagazineVHMHThermodynamics
Optimal heat exchange networks
Compact heat exchangers can be designed to run at low power if the exchange is concentrated in a crumpled surface fed by a fractal network.
RFYM
Physical Review EGraph theory
Eigenvalues of neutral networks
The principal eigenvalue of small neutral networks determines their robustness, and is bounded by the logarithm of the number of vertices.
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Discrete MathematicsSphere packing
Viscosity of polydisperse spheres
A fast and simple way to measure how polydisperse spheres crowd around each other, termed the packing fraction, agrees well with rheological data.
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Journal of Chemical PhysicsNetwork theory
Easily repairable networks
When networks come under attack, a repairable architecture is superior to, and globally distinct from, an architecture that is robust.
RFTFJH
Physical Review LettersFractals
Structural imperfections
Fractal structures need very little mass to support a load; but for current designs, this makes them vulnerable to manufacturing errors.
RFDRYM
Physical Review ESphere packing
Random close packing fractions
Lognormal distributions (and mixtures of same) are a useful model for the size distribution in emulsions and sediments.
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Powder TechnologyFractals
Gentle loads
The most efficient load-bearing fractals are designed as big structures under gentle loads, a common situation in aerospace applications.
RFDRYM
Physical Review EFractals
Ultralight fractal structures
The transition from solid to hollow beams changes the scaling of stability versus loading analogously to increasing the hierarchical order by one.
RFDRYM
Physical Review LettersFractals
Hierarchical space frames
A systematic way to vary the power-law scaling relations between loading parameters and volume of material aids the hierarchical design process.
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Mechanics Research CommunicationsIgnoble research
Shear elastic deformation in cells
Analysis of the linear elastic behaviour of plant cell dispersions improves our understanding of how to stabilise and texturise food products.
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Food BiophysicsTheory of materials
Diffusional liquid-phase sintering
A Monte Carlo model simulates the microstructural evolution of metallic and ceramic powders during the consolidation process liquid-phase sintering.
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Mathematics and Computers in SimulationSphere packing
Ever-shrinking spheres
Techniques from random sphere packing predict the dimension of the Apollonian gasket, a fractal made up of non-overlapping hyperspheres.
RFEG
Physical Review E