MESH: A Journey Through Discrete Geometry (Springer VideoMATH)

From the reviews:

"The mathematical film Mesh ... has already won numerous international prizes. Mesh is a ground breaking 40-minute computer animation that explores the advancement of discrete geometry from the ancient Greeks to contemporary research topics. ... With its synthesis of cutting-edge visualization, breathtaking artistry, storytelling and humor, Mesh presents complex ideas in a way that is palpable and relevant to even a novice audience. ... Many of the topics in Mesh have never before been portrayed with computer graphics ... ." (www.webwire.com, January, 2007)

"... mit Beau Janzen hat Polthier jüngst den Film ‘Mesh‘ herausgebracht - eine unterhaltsame Einführung in zentrale Probleme der Geometrie ... ‘Mesh’ ist eine Reise durch die Geometrie von den alten Griechen bis zur ‘diskreten Differentialgeometrie‘ der Gegenwart, die sich mit der Darstellung von Formen mit Hilfe einer endlichen Anzahl von Drei- und Rechtecken beschäftigt. ... Das ist ein ganz wesentlicher Ansatzpunkt für die Kompression geometrischer Daten ... Mit ruhiger Stimme beschreibt der Mathematiker seine Vision. Er ist der festen Überzeugung, dass ein Technologiesprung bevorsteht. ..."

(Dreiecksgeschichte, in: Die Rheinpfalz, 18. März 2007, S. 19)

"Mesh lays out the full theoretical framework behind the use of meshes ... . As a practical teaching too, Mesh has all the necessary depth to introduce the subject to a student; as a film for general audiences, it’s clear enough for the neophyte with a bit of advanced high school science to follow; and as a primer, it’s bright and colorful enough to make a 10-year-old want to revisit the subject in years to come." (Animation World Magazine, October, 2007)

MESH is a mathematical video on polyhedral meshes and their role in geometry, numerics and computer graphics. The film is completely computer-generated using the latest technology and spans the range from ancient Greek mathematics to the area of geometric modelling of today. MESH has already won several science awards worldwide. The authors are Konrad Polthier, a professor of mathematics, and Beau Janzen, a professional film director.

The film is an excellent teaching tool for courses on geometry, visualization, scientific computing and geometric modeling at universities and centers for computational science, and can also be used in schools.