number of particles in the medium is greater than a certain critical value. The singularity
(''inelastic collapse'') occurs when a group of particles collides infinitely often in a finite time
so that the separations and relative velocities vanish. To avoid the finite time singularity, a
double limit in which the coefficient of restitution r approaches 1 and the number of particles
N becomes large, but is always below the critical number needed to trigger collapse, is …