TOPE.TXT

Both the source code TOPE.PAS (in Turbo Pascal 3.0) and an executable version
TOPE.COM of the program TOPE are provided. The program was developed in
response to a question of Paul Merriam, a UGA undergraduate, who wanted to
know whether a human being could visualize 4-dimensional solids. TOPE allows
the user to rotate a 4-cube, 4-simplex, or 16-cell, seen projected with
perspective, in order to exploit the added insight of motion. TOPE works best
on a fast CPU with minimal graphics support (IBM CGA): holding down the key for a
particular rotation animates the image. Use the program and try to keep in
mind that the object you are viewing in projection is rigid. Inspiration for
the program comes from some work of Thomas Banchoff at Brown University, and
an article in Scientific American's Computer Recreations column.

        M. Victor Wickerhauser
        Washington University Department of Mathematics
        Saint Louis, Missouri
        victor@math.wustl.edu