Rotating Point Patterns
Inspired by this gif on reddit.
What do you see here? A bunch of points moving independently, carefully choreographed to barely avoid collision? Groups of points rolling clockwise? Groups of points rolling counterclockwise? A 3D (or 4D) shape morphing in space?
Click/tap the "change display" to cycle through numerous settings that may change how you perceive this shape. Then check/uncheck the individual toggle boxes for more viewing combinations.
The default "config (3, 4)" setting reflects the geometry of the gif on reddit, but slide to see different geometries.
The checkbox beside "change display" automatically cycles through the display and "config" settings.
Gotta admit I can't quite figure out how the gif on reddit achieved the star shape (with straight sides) in the end, whereas my construction yields a slightly curvaceous hypocycloid like you might draw with a Spirograph.
I don't even have a hunch whether the motion of the points is truly defined differently or whether a little computer graphics trickery in the gif is at play. I'd be interested if someone could clue me in, but on the other hand I don't mind when a little mystery remains at the end of a Mathematical excursion.