Python Powered Computational Geometry at PyConAU

I'll be speaking with a colleague at PyConAU 2012 this weekend. We'll be giving a 30 minute talk on Python Powered Computational Geometry. The emphasis will be on how the right python tools can help you rapidly prototype solutions, visualise results, and generally get stuff done efficiently, without worrying too much about implementation details.

The full talk description as published is as follow:

Computational Geometry is the study of geometry with the support of appropriate algorithms, and influences a broad range of fields of science, engineering and mathematics including: Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Finite Element Modelling (FEM), Computer Aided Design / Modelling (CAD/CAM), Robotics, Computer Graphics and Collision Detection.

While it is possible to quickly implement naive versions of computational geometry algorithms in any language, such algorithms can be expensive and time consuming to write, debug and maintain. The advent of a number of tools, including new bindings for the Computational Geometry Algorithms Library (CGAL) and the ipython notebook make Python an ideal tool for experimentation with fast and numerically robust algorithms.

The presentation will include demonstrations of a number of common two- and three-dimensional computational geometry algorithms:

• Triangulations
• Mesh refinement
• Intersection testing
• Alpha shapes
• Convex hulls
• Constructive Solid Geometry
• Minkowski Sums