Jamming: algorithms and geometry

I’m quite proud of our latest paper: How do simple grains or particles suddenly lock together and become rigid—a process known as jamming? This work approaches this classic physics problem from a new angle: by asking how algorithms explore configuration space. Using the minimal random Lorentz gas model, we showed that the outcome of jamming depends not just on the particles themselves, but on how the system is driven toward rigidity. Different computational “rules” for pushing particles together lead to different jammed states, yet all share strikingly universal features. This advance reveals a deep connection between geometry, computation, and physical rigidity, and helps explain why some aspects of jamming are robust while others depend sensitively on history. By linking everyday materials to abstract geometry and optimization, the work offers a new way to think about how complex structures emerge from simple rules.