Visualization and Geometric Interpretation of 3D Surfaces

Abstract: This thesis work presents a web-based interactive program for three-dimensional concepts of Multivariable Calculus course at Linköping University. It is focused on using computer graphics to develop geometric intuition through visualization. This thesis interactively visualizes partial derivatives and optimization concepts which are difficult to teach clearly in a traditional classroom using a two dimensional board. The program is a Netbeans project and is based on the Java programming language and OpenGL libraries, in order to run on all operating systems and obtain high quality 3D visualization results. Java OpenGL (JOGL) provides hardware supported 3D graphics and Swing is used as a Java GUI widget toolkit for designing the graphical user interface. The final results are published on the internet as Java Applet frames and Java Web Start applications to enhance the conceptual understanding of students. Therefore, this thesis promotes the strength of computer graphics and visualization tools in teaching.