Algorithmic Symplectic Packing

Abstract

In this article we explore a symplectic packing problem where the targets and domains are $2n$-dimensional symplectic manifolds. We work in the context where the manifolds have first homology group equal to $\mathbb{Z}^n$, and we require the embeddings to induce isomorphisms between first homology groups. In this case, Maley, Mastrangeli and Traynor showed that the problem can be reduced to a combinatorial optimization problem, namely packing certain allowable simplices into a given standard simplex. They designed a computer program and presented computational results. In particular, they determined the simplex packing widths in dimension four for up to $k=12$ simplices, along with lower bounds for higher values of $k$. We present a modified algorithmic approach that allows us to determine the $k$-simplex packing widths for up to $k = 13$ simplices in dimension four and up to $k = 8$ simplices in dimension six. Moreover, our approach determines all simplex-multisets that allow for optimal packings.