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'''Paul Édouard Passy''' ([[1859]]-[[1940]]) was a [[France|French]] [[linguist]], founder of the [[International Phonetic Association]] in 1886.
The '''Weaire-Phelan structure''' is a complex 3-dimensional structure discovered in 1993 by [[Denis Weaire]] and [[Robert Phelan]], 2 physicists based at [[Trinity College Dublin]], using computer simulations of [[foam]]. It is proposed to be the optimal solution of the [[Kelvin problem]].
He took part to the elaboration of the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]].
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In 1887, [[Lord Kelvin]] asked how could space be partitioned into cells of equal volume with the least area of surface between them, i.e. the most efficient soap bubble foam. He proposed a 14-sided space-filling [[polyhedron]] (a [[tetrakaidecahedron]]) with 6 square sides and 8 hexagonal sides whose faces are slightly curved because of [[Plateau]]'s rules which govern the structures of foams. The Kelvin structure was believed to be the optimal solution for more than 100 years.
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[[Category:1859 births|Passy, Paul Édouard]]
[[Category:1940 deaths|Passy, Paul Édouard]]
[[Category:1859 births|Passy, Paul Édouard]]
The Weaire-Phelan structure uses two kinds of cells; a [[dodecahedron]] and a [[tetrakaidecahedron]] with 2 hexagons and 12 pentagons with slightly curved faces. The surface area is 0.3% less than the Kelvin structure, quite a large difference in this context. It has not been proved that the Weaire-Phelan structure is optimal, but it is generally believed to be likely.
[[Category:1940 deaths|Passy, Paul Édouard]]
[[Category:French linguists|Passy, Paul Édouard]]
[[Category:Linguists|Passy, Paul Édouard]]
[[fr:Paul Passy]]
The structure is also found in [[chemistry]] where it is usually known as the Type I [[clathrate]] structure.
[[udm:Пасси, Поль Эдуард]]
It is the inspiration for the design of the aquatic centre for the [[2008]] Olympics in [[Beijing]] in [[China]].
See also:
[[Minimal surface]]
[[soap bubble]]
[http://www.mathaware.org/mam/03/images/sullivan/phw00000.jpg A picture of the Weaire-Phelan structure]
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