This applet graphs selected mathematical functions in 3D. It is more of a tour than a tool. All functions have had boundaries and constants pre-set, to maximize your viewing enjoyment. It is an extension of my 3-d wireframe applet.      Drag your mouse over the graph to rotate it!

This applet is designed to be fun, even if you can't read mathematical equations. Just pick some gobble*de^gook at random from one of the 'functions' menus to the right, and then look at the pretty picture.

Get a java enabled browser, would you?

linear functions y = x + z y = x * z y = x^2 + z^2 y = x^2 - z^2 y = x^2 * z^2 y = x^3 + z^3 y = x^3 * z^3 y = x^2 + z^3 y = x^2 * z^3 y = x^2 + z^2 + z^3 - x^3 y = x^4 + z^4 y = x^4 - z^4 y = x^5 + z^5 cyclical functions y = cos(x) + cos(z) y = (cos(x) + cos(z)) ^2 y = (cos(x) + cos(z)) ^3 y = (cos(x) + cos(z)) ^4 y = (cos(x) + cos(z)) ^5 y = |(cos(x) + cos(z))| ^(1/2) y = cos(x^2 + z^2) y = sin(x^2 + z^2) y = cos(x^2 + z^2) ^7 y = sin(x^2 + z^2) ^3 y = |cos(x^2 + z^2)| ^(1/2) y = |cos(x^2 + z^2)| ^(1/8) more functions y = -1/(x^2 + z^2) y = cos(|x| + |z|) y = cos(|x| + |z|) * (|x| + |z|) y = sin(|x| - |z|) Gently drag and release to start the model spinning. detail : super low low medium high very high eXtremely high 3D specs : no 3D glasses red lens right red lens left red right (Mac) red left (Mac)

This applet looks really great with a very high detail level, but you may find it more comfortable to use less detail if you want to spin the model, or use your 3D glasses on it.

If you know of a really cool 3D function that you would like to send to me, I could add it here and put it up as the 3D surface curve of the month.

The X, Y, and Z axes are where they are for illustration purposes only. Mathematicians would switch the Y and Z axes with eachother. Computer graphics people would have at least one of the axes pointing in the other direction, away from you. I wanted a set of axes that conformed to computer style axes (it is a computer program, after all), but allowed the user to see all 3 of the directional arrows (Standard in mathematical illustrations) when looking at the 'front' of the model.

As mentioned above, all of these functions have pre-selected boundaries and constants, so you don't have to spend 5 minutes fiddling around to get a good fit and see how cool the function is capable of being. Some of the functions may seem backwards, but they simply have a negative constant somewhere, to make them look prettier.

Updated December 6, 1997