The Nature of Code: Simulating Natural Systems with Processing (Paperback)

How can we capture the unpredictable evolutionary and emergent properties of nature in software? How can understanding the mathematical principles behind our physical world help us to create digital worlds? This book focuses on a range of programming strategies and techniques behind computer simulations of natural systems, from elementary concepts in mathematics and physics to more advanced algorithms that enable sophisticated visual results. Readers will progress from building a basic physics engine to creating intelligent moving objects and complex systems, setting the foundation for further experiments in generative design. Subjects covered include forces, trigonometry, fractals, cellular automata, self-organization, and genetic algorithms. The book's examples are written in Processing, an open-source language and development environment built on top of the Java programming language. On the book's website (http://www.natureofcode.com), the examples run in the browser via Processing's JavaScript mode.

我們如何在軟體中捕捉自然界不可預測的演化和新興特性？了解我們物理世界背後的數學原理如何幫助我們創造數位世界？本書專注於自然系統的電腦模擬的一系列程式設計策略和技巧，從數學和物理的基本概念到能夠產生複雜視覺效果的更高級演算法。讀者將從建立基本的物理引擎開始，進而創造智能移動物體和複雜系統，為進一步的生成設計實驗奠定基礎。涵蓋的主題包括力量、三角函數、分形、細胞自動機、自組織和遺傳演算法。本書的範例是用Processing編寫的，Processing是一種基於Java編程語言的開源語言和開發環境。在本書的網站（http://www.natureofcode.com）上，範例通過Processing的JavaScript模式在瀏覽器中運行。