We survey results regarding the definability and size of maximal discrete sets in analytic hypergraphs. Our main examples include maximal almost disjoint (or mad) families, $\mathcal I$-mad families, maximal eventually different families, and maximal cofinitary groups. We discuss the non-increasing sequence of cardinal characteristics $\mathfrak a_ξ$, for $ξ<ω_1$ as well as the notions of spectra of characteristics and optimal projective witnesses. We give an account of Zhang's forcing to add generic cofinitary permutations, and of a version of this forcing with built-in coding.