We introduce a novel method for the construction of discrete conformal mappings from surface meshes of arbitrary topology to the plane. Our approach is based on circle patterns, i.e., arrangements of circles—one for each face—with prescribed intersection angles. Given these angles the circle radii follow as the unique minimizer of a convex energy. The method supports very flexible boundary conditions ranging from free boundaries to control of the boundary shape via prescribed curvatures. Closed meshes of genus zero can be parameterized over the sphere. To parameterize higher genus meshes we introduce cone singularities at designated vertices. The parameter domain is then a piecewise Euclidean surface. Cone singularities can also help to reduce the often very large area distortion of global conformal maps to moderate levels. Our method involves two optimization problems: a quadratic program and the unconstrained minimization of the circle pattern energy. The latter is a convex function of logarithmic radius variables with simple explicit expressions for gradient and Hessian. We demonstrate the versatility and performance of our algorithm with a variety of examples.

Abstract not found

Abstract not found

Mesh parameterization is a powerful geometry processing tool with numerous computer graphics applications, from texture mapping to animation transfer. This course outlines its mathematical foundations, describes recent methods for parameterizing meshes over various domains, discusses emerging tools like global parameterization and inter-surface mapping, and demonstrates a variety of parameterization applications.

The geometric challenges in the architectural design of freeform shapes come mainly from the physical realization of beams and nodes. We approach them via the concept of parallel meshes, and present methods of computation and optimization. We discuss planar faces, beams of controlled height, node geometry, and multilayer constructions. Beams of constant height are achieved with the new type of edge offset meshes. Mesh parallelism is also the main ingredient in a novel discrete theory of curvatures. These methods are applied to the construction of quadrilateral, pentagonal and hexagonal meshes, discrete minimal surfaces, discrete constant mean curvature surfaces, and their geometric transforms. We show how to design geometrically optimal shapes, and how to find a meaningful meshing and beam layout for existing shapes.

This work introduces a unified framework for discrete surface Ricci flow algorithms, including spherical, Euclidean, and hyperbolic Ricci flows, which can design Riemannian metrics on surfaces with arbitrary topologies by user-defined Gaussian curvatures. Furthermore, the target metrics are conformal (angle-preserving) to the original metrics. A Ricci flow conformally deforms the Riemannian metric on a surface according to its induced curvature, such that the curvature evolves like a heat diffusion process. Eventually, the curvature becomes the user defined curvature. Discrete Ricci flow algorithms are based on a variational framework. Given a mesh, all possible metrics form a linear space, and all possible curvatures form a convex polytope. The Ricci energy is defined on the metric space, which reaches its minimum at the desired metric. The Ricci flow is the negative gradient flow of the Ricci energy. Furthermore, the Ricci energy can be optimized using Newton’s method more efficiently. Discrete Ricci flow algorithms are rigorous and efficient. Our experimental results demonstrate the efficiency, accuracy and flexibility of the algorithms. They have the potential for a wide range of applications in graphics, geometric modeling, and medical imaging. We demonstrate their practical values by global surface parameterizations.

Abstract not found

The circle is arguably the most studied object in mathematics, yet I am here to tell the tale of circle packing, a topic which is likely to be new to most readers. These packings are configurations of circles satisfying preassigned patterns of tangency, and we will be concerned here with their creation, manipulation, and interpretation. Lest we get off on the wrong foot, I should caution that this is NOT twodimensional “sphere ” packing: rather than being fixed in size, our circles must adjust their radii in tightly choreographed ways if they hope to fit together in a specified pattern. In posing this as a mathematical tale, I am asking the reader for some latitude. From a tale you expect truth without all the details; you know that the storyteller will be playing with the plot and timing; you let pictures carry part of the story. We all hope for deep insights, but perhaps sometimes a simple story with a few new twists is enough—may you enjoy this tale in that spirit. Readers who wish to dig into the details can consult the “Reader’s Guide ” at the end. Once Upon a Time … From wagon wheel to mythical symbol, predating history, perfect form to ancient geometers, companion to π, the circle is perhaps the most celebrated object in mathematics.

Meshes composed of well-centered simplices have nice orthogonal dual meshes (the dual Voronoi diagram). This is useful for certain numerical algorithms that prefer such primal-dual mesh pairs. We prove that well-centered meshes also have optimality properties and relationships to Delaunay and minmax angle triangulations. We present an iterative algorithm that seeks to transform a given triangulation in two or three dimensions into a well-centered one by minimizing a cost function and moving the interior vertices while keeping the mesh connectivity and boundary vertices fixed. The cost function is a direct result of a new characterization of well-centeredness in arbitrary dimensions that we present. Ours is the first optimization-based heuristic for well-centeredness and the first one that applies in both two and three dimensions. We show the results of applying our algorithm to small and large two-dimensional meshes, some with a complex boundary, and obtain a well-centered tetrahedralization of the cube. We also show numerical evidence that our algorithm preserves gradation and that it improves the maximum and minimum angles of acute triangulations created by the best known previous method.

We study rigidity of polyhedral surfaces and the moduli space of polyhedral surfaces using variational principles. Curvature like quantities for polyhedral surfaces are introduced. Many of them are shown to determine the polyhedral metric up to isometry. The action functionals in the variational approaches are derived from the cosine law and the Lengendre transformation of them. These include energies used by Colin de Verdiere, Braegger, Rivin, Cohen-Kenyon-Propp, Leibon and Bobenko-Springborn for variational principles on triangulated surfaces. Our study is based on a set of identities satisfied by the derivative of the cosine law. These identities which exhibit similarity in all spaces of constant curvature are probably a discrete analogous of the Bianchi identity.