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The most uniform distribution of points on the sphere

Author

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  • Luca Maria Del Bono
  • Flavio Nicoletti
  • Federico Ricci-Tersenghi

Abstract

How to distribute a set of points uniformly on a spherical surface is a longstanding problem that still lacks a definite answer. In this work, we introduce a physical measure of uniformity based on the distribution of distances between points, as an alternative to commonly adopted measures based on interaction potentials. We then use this new measure of uniformity to characterize several algorithms available in the literature. We also study the effect of optimizing the position of the points through the minimization of different interaction potentials via a gradient descent procedure. In this way, we can classify different algorithms and interaction potentials to find the one that generates the most uniform distribution of points on the sphere.

Suggested Citation

  • Luca Maria Del Bono & Flavio Nicoletti & Federico Ricci-Tersenghi, 2024. "The most uniform distribution of points on the sphere," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(12), pages 1-24, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0313863
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0313863
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