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CSCI 5980/8980: PHYSICS-BASED ANIMATION
Instructor: Prof. Rahul Narain (narain@cs.umn.edu)
Class times: Tu,Th, 2:30–3:45 p.m., STSS 420A
Course overview: Modern computer animation relies heavily on numerical simulation to create
realistic and compelling depictions of complex physical phenomena, from moving cloth and
flowing liquids to collisions, fracture, and explosions. This course will introduce the fundamental
mathematical and computational techniques used in physics-based animation, and then discuss
state-of-the-art research in this area. It will explore both the theoretical foundations involving
classical mechanics, mathematical modeling, and numerical methods, and practical techniques
for simulation of various phenomena including rigid bodies, collisions and contact, deformable
objects, and fluid dynamics.
Course format: The course will consist of a combination of lectures by the instructor and
seminar-style sessions where participants present and discuss recent papers. At the end of
the course, students will develop and present a project implementing one or more of the algorithms described in the class or novel techniques of their own.
Prerequisites: Familiarity with linear algebra and calculus is essential. Students should have
taken a course in numerical linear algebra or be enrolled in CSci 2033. Experience with computer
graphics (CSci 4611 or 5607) is recommended but not strictly required.