Introduction to Spherical Harmonics for Graphics Programmers

1 comments

• hackingonempty 2 hours ago
  > spherical harmonics can have uses beyond lighting

  This math is also used in Ambisonic surround sound though newer techniques use planewave expansion.

  For games, the full-sphere encoding of Ambisonic B-format can be decoded for arbitrary speaker locations and the soundfield rotated around any axis. I'm not sure if its ever been used for a game though.

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  • analog31 52 minutes ago
    ... also quantum mechanics. The textbook solution for the wavefunction of the hydrogen atom involves spherical harmonics.
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    • hackingonempty 9 minutes ago
      That fact is betrayed by the the similarity of the shapes of atomic orbitals and the sensitivity patterns of Abisonic B-format channels.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambisonics#Higher-order_ambiso...

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_orbital#Orbitals_table

      ...and the same patterns appear on the unit disk with the Zernike polynomials, used to describe optical aberrations and more.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zernike_polynomials