| Posted by Don on 06/30/05 02:07 
Chung Leong wrote:
 > Isn't that an NP-complete problem or am I crazy?
 
 It is NP complete. Its known as the "cutting stock problem" (aka "Knapsack
 problem"). Here's a Wikipedia page that describes it:
 
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutting_stock_problem
 
 There are commerical applications available that "solve" the problem in 2D
 for use in the woodworking industry (among others). This is generally done
 to minimize waste when cutting down panels (plywood, etc) into smaller
 pieces for cabinets, etc.
 
 -Don
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