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PRZEMYSLAW PRUSINKIEWICZ

Credentials
M.Sc. (1974) Technical University of Warsaw
Ph.D. (1978) Technical University of Warsaw
Present Position
Professor, Department of Computer Science
Key Words
Computer graphics, modeling of nature, L-systems, plants.
One of the main goals of science is to find principles that unify apparently diverse phenomena. With this broad objective in mind, I apply notions and methods of computer science to gain a better understanding of the emergence of forms and patterns in nature.

The focal point of my work is the modeling, simulation and visualization of the development of plants. I find this area very interesting because of its interdisciplinary character. Ideas pertinent to plant modeling are related to computer science (computer graphics, formal language theory, programming language design, and simulation), as well as biology, artificial life, mathematics, and physics. The modeling of plants has also an artistic flavor, since the beauty of plants presents a constant challenge for creating visually appealing models.

My students and I have developed and continue to improve a software environment for conducting simulated experiments, called a "Virtual Laboratory". It is a source of satisfaction for us that our software is used to support several research programs on plant development and in computer graphics worldwide.

My research involves cooperation with researchers representing diverse disciplines, and provides a variety of topics for students.

For more information, see our pages related to Biological Modeling and Visualization and Computer Graphics


Last updated on June 27, 1997 by Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz (pwp@cpsc.ucalgary.ca)