Xref: utzoo sci.math:4175 comp.graphics:2773
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!rutgers!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ames!lll-tis!aftac.tis.llnl.gov!carlson
From: carlson@aftac.tis.llnl.gov (John Carlson)
Newsgroups: sci.math,comp.graphics
Subject: Intersections in spherical coordinates
Message-ID: <22321@tis.llnl.gov>
Date: 12 Jul 88 01:04:51 GMT
Sender: news@tis.llnl.gov
Reply-To: carlson@aftac.tis.llnl.gov (John Carlson)
Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore CA
Lines: 22


I would like to intersect a line with the surface defined in spherical
coordinates

	rho = A + B * cos (C * theta) * cos (D * phi)


	where A, B, C and D are arbitrary constants, and cos is cosine.
			(Try |C| < 1 or |D| < 1)

I am currently using a bounding sphere, Newtons's method and
bisection if Newton's fails.

Is there a good reference on intersections of lines and surfaces in
spherical coordinates?  Can I take the trigonometry out of the problem?
Does a deterministic method exist for breaking up the surface into
polygons if C and D aren't integers?

Thank you,

John Carlson
carlson@aftac.tis.llnl.gov