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Active· Physics · AI

Project Indra

A computational physics sandbox simulating pattern formation with the Swift–Hohenberg equation. Stripes, hexagons, and the question of why the universe likes the shapes it likes.

A frame from Indra — Swift–Hohenberg stripes, rendered from the actual simulation
A frame from Indra — Swift–Hohenberg stripes, rendered from the actual simulation

The two frames below are the actual equation, not an illustration. Same model, one parameter changed: with a quadratic term the field settles into hexagons; without it, stripes that wander like a fingerprint.

Hexagons — Swift–Hohenberg with a quadratic term

Stripes — Swift–Hohenberg without one