[Coding Challenge Suggestion] Illumination Problem, Penrose ellipse and billiards

[SkarnKain]

Hi Daniel, Hi everybody else !

I think there might be an interresting coding challenge based on the Illumination Problem, Penrose ellipse and billiards

Here's a reference video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhj5er1k6GQ and here's some web page concerning this topic :

• http://mathworld.wolfram.com/IlluminationProblem.html
• http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Billiards.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illumination_problem

The topics that can be included in the code are at least :

• How to approach the problem (Sending multiples rays ? How many rays ? How many reflexion ?)
• How to construct the Penrose ellipse ?
• How to detect collision between rays and the lines/curves ?
• How to manage reflexion on these lines/curves ?

Keep up the good work !

[kwichmann]

I'm not sure it's a problem that lends itself well to this kind of format. Many of these require an exact approach. For instance, those single unilluminated point would be impossible to see in a simulation. And all angles will be rational. And so on.

[SkarnKain]

I agree that of course those single unilluminated point are impossible to see in a simulation. But you can imagine building a Penrose ellipse (or other kind of geometrical form) and interacting with it with your mouse, sending multiple rays/beams from your mouse in all directions and see the reflexions.