Archimedean Gas

The model for the animation running at the right has the Archimedean Solids bouncing around in a cuboid, as if they were spheres of equal mass, starting from some randomized positions, velocities and spins. The gray figure that looks like a picture frame is a projection of the inside of the containment box.

The simulation might also be called “collidoscope.”

The most interesting algorithm here is the one that determines the faces of an equilateral polyhedron.

The Java Applet is an example of the use of a simple 3D graphics package.