Discrete Differential
Geometry:
An Applied Introduction
Eitan Grinspun
with
Mathieu Desbrun, Konrad Polthier, Peter Schröder, & Ari Stern
DDG Course SIGGRAPH 2006
1
Differential Geometry
Why do we care?
geometry of surfaces
mothertongue of physical theories
Springborn
Grape (u. of Bonn)
computation: simulation/processing
Elcott et al.
Alliez et al.
Grinspun et al.
Desbrun
DDG Course SIGGRAPH 2006
2
A Bit of History
Geometry is the key!
studied for centuries
Hermann Schwarz, 1890
DiMarco, Physics, Montana
Cartan, Poincaré, Lie, Hodge, de
Rham, Gauss, Noether,…
mostly differential geometry
differential and integral calculus
The study of invariants and
symmetries
DDG Course SIGGRAPH 2006
Bobenko and Suris
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Getting Started
How to apply DiffGeo ideas?
surfaces as collections of samples
and topology (connectivity)
apply continuous ideas
BUT: setting is discrete
what is the right way?
discrete vs. discretized
DDG Course SIGGRAPH 2006
4
Getting Started
How to apply DiffGeo ideas?
surfaces as collections of samples
and topology (connectivity)
apply continuous ideas
BUT: setting is discrete
what is the right way?
discrete vs. discretized
DDG Course SIGGRAPH 2006
5
Discretized
Build smooth manifold structure
collection of charts
mutually compatible
on their overlaps
form an atlas
realize as smooth
functions
differentiate away…
DDG Course SIGGRAPH 2006
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Discrete Geometry
Basic tool
differential geometry
metric, curvature, etc.
Discrete realizations
“meshes”
computational geom.
graph theory
DDG Course SIGGRAPH 2006
Hermann Schwarz, 1890
DiMarco, Physics, Montana
Uli Heller, 2002
Boy’s Surface, Oberwolfach
Black Rock City, 2003
Frei Otto, Munich 1968
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Discrete Diff.Geometry
Building from the ground up
discrete geometry given
meshes: triangles, tets
more general: cell complex
how to do calculus?
DDG Course SIGGRAPH 2006
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