The best ways to display a map of non-Euclidean 3-D space?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the best methods for displaying a 3-D map of non-Euclidean space, considering both elliptic and hyperbolic geometries. Participants explore various visualization techniques, the nature of the information being conveyed, and the implications of static versus interactive maps.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that for elliptic space, a global map similar to Earth's ellipsoidal representation could be effective.
  • Others propose considering both closed and open hyperbolic spaces for visualization.
  • There is a discussion about whether the map should be static or interactive, with the idea that large regions of non-Euclidean space would make the geometry apparent.
  • Some participants argue that the effectiveness of any visualization depends on the specific information intended to be conveyed, highlighting that different representations have varying advantages and disadvantages.
  • One participant notes that the question of how to display features in the universe is too vague without specifying what information is prioritized and what distortions are acceptable.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the best visualization methods, indicating that no consensus has been reached regarding specific approaches or techniques.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the ambiguity in the types of information to be displayed and the potential for misinterpretation based on the chosen representation.

greswd
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You might have seen such a 3-D map of the stars before:

mapofstars.png
And I was wondering about a 3-D map if space was non-Euclidean, what would be the best ways to display it.

To keep it simple, if you're considering elliptic space, you can consider the entire "global" map. Just like we have world maps of our entire ellipsoidal globe of planet Earth.

And if you're considering hyperbolic space, you can also consider a closed seamless hyperbolic universe in addition to an "open" hyperbolic space.

Another factor to consider is whether the map is static or interactive. Though the region of space which we'll be displaying will be so large that the non-Euclidean geometry will be obvious, it won't be like zooming into a tiny portion of space which appears relatively "flat" and Euclidean.
 
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greswd said:
You might have seen such a 3-D map of the stars before:

View attachment 301762And I was wondering about a 3-D map if space was non-Euclidean, what would be the best ways to display it.

To keep it simple, if you're considering elliptic space, you can consider the entire "global" map. Just like we have world maps of our entire ellipsoidal globe of planet Earth.

And if you're considering hyperbolic space, you can also consider a closed seamless hyperbolic universe in addition to an "open" hyperbolic space.

Another factor to consider is whether the map is static or interactive. Though the region of space which we'll be displaying will be so large that the non-Euclidean geometry will be obvious, it won't be like zooming into a tiny portion of space which appears relatively "flat" and Euclidean.

and maybe the best way to teach non-Euclidean geometries is to use mock maps
 
greswd said:
And I was wondering about a 3-D map if space was non-Euclidean, what would be the best ways to display it.
In my opinion,
the answer for any visualization depends on what information you are trying to convey.
Each representation will have varying degrees of advantages and disadvantages
for various choices of the information to be emphasized.
 
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robphy said:
In my opinion,
the answer for any visualization depends on what information you are trying to convey.
Each representation will have varying degrees of advantages and disadvantages
for various choices of the information to be emphasized.

let's say we're trying to convey the locations of all the features in the universe, their locations in 3-D space

kinda like a globe (although its a 2-D surface)
 
greswd said:
let's say we're trying to convey the locations of all the features in the universe, their locations in 3-D space

kinda like a globe (although its a 2-D surface)

I have no specific suggestions.
My comment was to suggest that your question was not specific enough
since the answer depends on what you want to display
(and what you hope your viewer understands from it)
and what distortions you are willing to tolerate
(and hope that your viewer doesn't misinterpret).

https://www.google.com/search?q=vis...ta&oq=visualization+of+three+dimensional+data
 

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