The authors take a closer look at discrete models in differential
geometry and dynamical systems. Their curves are polygonal, surfaces
are made from triangles and quadrilaterals, and time is discrete.Nevertheless, the difference between the corresponding smooth curves,
surfaces and classical dynamical systems with continuous time can hardly be seen. This is the paradigm of structure-preserving discretizations. Current advances in this field are stimulated to a large extent by its relevance for computer graphics and mathematical physics. This book is written by specialists working together on a common research project. It is about differential geometry and dynamical systems, smooth and discrete theories, and on pure mathematics and its practical applications. The interaction of these facets is demonstrated by concrete examples, including discrete conformal mappings, discrete complex analysis, discrete curvatures and special surfaces, discrete integrable systems, conformal texture mappings in computer graphics, and free-form architecture.
Alexander I. Bobenko is a professor at the Technische Universität Berlin. He is an author with Yuri Suris of the book „Discrete Differential Geometry“, editor of several books on this topic and a co-organizer of the regular conference „Discrete Differential Geometry“ in Oberwolfach. He is the Coordinator of the DFG Collaboration Research Center „Discretization in Geometry and Dynamics“.