Interactive 3D Visualization of Mathematical Functions Using VRML

Published

February 1, 1999

Author(s)

Qiming Wang, Bonita V. Saunders

Abstract

Although there have been no major revisions of the National Bureau of Standards Handbook of Mathematical Functions [1] since its first publication in 1964, it continues to be widely used by the mathematical and scientific community. As a result, NIST is engaged in a large scale project to update and expand the handbook and disseminate it in digital format on the World Wide Web. This electronic handbook is being called the Digital Library of Mathematical Functions (DLMF). A key feature of the DLMF will be dynamic 3D visualizations of special functions. This paper discusses some of the visualization results obtained to date using VRML, the Virtual Reality Modeling Language, a standard file format fordescribing the behavior and geometry of a 3D virtual world.

Citation

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 6289

Report Number

6289

NIST Pub Series

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

3D graphics, clipping, special functions, Virtual Reality Modeling Language, VRML

Citation

Wang, Q. and Saunders, B. (1999), Interactive 3D Visualization of Mathematical Functions Using VRML, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=151389 (Accessed October 22, 2025)