How to Distribute N Points on the Surface of a Sphere ?
Point-Construction
This java-Applet compares different construction methods.
For optimization, select how to evaluate the given point set and press "poly" or "type".
The number above a point-set is its evaluation value, the data below are the
Euler-vector of its combinatorial type.
In the first case, the applet optimizes the point-set only and leaves the combinatorial type
of the initial point-set is untouched.
In the second case, the applet tries to find also the best combinatorial type of the point-set
for given N.
It first optimizes the point-set according to the given combinatorial type.
Then one edge is crossed and the point-set with the new combinatorial type is optimized.
If the second point-set is better than the first, the point-set is kept; otherwise it shall be removed.
This crossing-edge routine continues until no better point-set had been found after all edges of
a point-set had been tested.