| From loading cargo on a plane, to organizing patterns on cloth, bin-packing has a wide range of applications. Bin-packing is the process of deciding the placement of a set of boxes within a larger container, such that the unused volume within the container is minimized. Bin-packing algorithms can be used many ways because the need to search for an optimal arrangement of items, with the goal of minimizing cost, is common.; When applying bin-packing techniques to applications such as warehouse design or cargo-loading, it is not only important that the boxes are packed efficiently, but also that they are placed in a stable position. When boxes are placed they should not move out of position due to gravitational pull.; This algorithm solves this problem through the use of a buffer, vertical shelves called slots, and a recursive procedure. These methods not only decrease the wasted space within the bin, they provide the technique to ensure an arrangement of boxes that will not move out of place once packed. The algorithm, the nuclear waste bin-packing algorithm, is presented in this research. |
