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NAME

Math::PlanePath::HilbertSpiral -- 2x2 self-similar spiral

SYNOPSIS

my $path = Math::PlanePath::HilbertSpiral->new;
my ($x, $y) = $path->n_to_xy (123);

DESCRIPTION

This is a Hilbert curve variation which fills the plane by spiralling around into negative X,Y on every second replication level.

..--63--62 49--48--47 44--43--42 5
| | | | |
60--61 50--51 46--45 40--41 4
| | |
59 56--55 52 33--34 39--38 3
| | | | | | |
58--57 54--53 32 35--36--37 2
|
5-- 4-- 3-- 2 31 28--27--26 1
| | | | |
6-- 7 0-- 1 30--29 24--25 <- Y=0
| |
9-- 8 13--14 17--18 23--22 -1
| | | | | |
10--11--12 15--16 19--20--21 -2
-2 -1 X=0 1 2 3 4 5

The curve starts with the same N=0 to N=3 as the HilbertCurve, then the following 2x2 blocks N=4 to N=15 go around in negative X,Y. The top-left corner for this negative direction is at Ntopleft=4^level-1 for an odd numbered level.

The parts of the curve in the X,Y negative parts are the same as the plain HilbertCurve, just mirrored along the anti-diagonal. For example. N=4 to N=15

HilbertSpiral HilbertCurve
\ 5---6 9--10
\ | | | |
\ 4 7---8 11
\ |
5-- 4 \ 13--12
| \ |
6-- 7 \ 14--15
| \
9-- 8 13--14 \
| | | \
10--11--12 15

This mirroring has the effect of mapping

HilbertCurve X,Y -> -Y,-X for HilbertSpiral

Notice the coordinate difference (-Y)-(-X) = X-Y so that difference, representing a projection onto the X=-Y opposite diagonal, is the same in both paths.

Level Ranges

Reckoning the initial N=0 to N=3 as level 1, a replication level extends to

Nstart = 0
Nlevel = 4^level - 1 (inclusive)
Xmin = Ymin = - (4^floor(level/2) - 1) * 2 / 3
= binary 1010...10
Xmax = Ymax = (4^ceil(level/2) - 1) / 3
= binary 10101...01
width = height = Xmax - Xmin
= Ymax - Ymin
= 2^level - 1

The X,Y range doubles alternately above and below, so the result is a 1 bit going alternately to the max or min, starting with the max for level 1.

level X,Ymin binary X,Ymax binary
----- --------------- --------------
0 0 0
1 0 0 1 = 1
2 -2 = -10 1 = 01
3 -2 = -010 5 = 101
4 -10 = -1010 5 = 0101
5 -10 = -01010 21 = 10101
6 -42 = -101010 21 = 010101
7 -42 = -0101010 85 = 1010101

The power-of-4 formulas above for Ymin/Ymax have the effect of producing alternating bit patterns like this.

This is the same sort of level range as BetaOmega has on its Y coordinate, but on this HilbertSpiral it applies to both X and Y.

FUNCTIONS

See "FUNCTIONS" in Math::PlanePath for behaviour common to all path classes.

$path = Math::PlanePath::HilbertSpiral->new ()

Create and return a new path object.

($x,$y) = $path->n_to_xy ($n)

Return the X,Y coordinates of point number $n on the path. Points begin at 0 and if $n < 0 then the return is an empty list.

($n_lo, $n_hi) = $path->rect_to_n_range ($x1,$y1, $x2,$y2)

The returned range is exact, meaning $n_lo and $n_hi are the smallest and biggest in the rectangle.

Level Methods

($n_lo, $n_hi) = $path->level_to_n_range($level)

Return (0, 4**$level - 1).

OEIS

Entries in Sloane's Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences related to this path include

A059285 X-Y coordinate diff

The difference X-Y is the same as the HilbertCurve, since the "negative" spiral parts are mirrored across the X=-Y anti-diagonal, which means coordinates (-Y,-X) and -Y-(-X) = X-Y.

SEE ALSO

Math::PlanePath, Math::PlanePath::HilbertCurve, Math::PlanePath::BetaOmega

HOME PAGE

http://user42.tuxfamily.org/math-planepath/index.html

LICENSE

Copyright 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Kevin Ryde

This file is part of Math-PlanePath.

Math-PlanePath is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3, or (at your option) any later version.

Math-PlanePath is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with Math-PlanePath. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.