Physically-Based Fluid Modeling using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my thesis committee: Tom DeFanti, Robert Kenyon, Tom Moher and Dan Sandin. A special thanks goes to Dr. Kenyon for many bits of valuable advice and guidance. Extra thanks also goes to Tom DeFanti for the support and resources which enabled me to pursue this research. Maxine Brown deserves more thanks than I could give here for her constant encouragement, dedication and support in my many times of distress over the past couple of years.

I am also grateful to the students of the Electronic Visualization Laboratory who are some of the best teachers that I have ever had. I am especially grateful to Milana Huang for being a good friend and having a patient ear, and for being my comrade while enduring the graduate school (and Chicago) blues.

Thanks also to my "blobby buddy" Rakesh Raju who introduced me to blobs and keeps me supplied with a never ending stream of blobby uses and advice, and to Maria Roussos for her friendship and laughter.

Most of my understanding of the intricacies of fluid dynamics came from long discussions with Greg Bryan. This thesis truly would not have been possible without his knowledge, patience and tenacity.

Finally I would like to express my deepest gratitude to those who have kept me sane during my years in Chicago: Sarah, Leanne, Jill, Tracy, Monica and especially Corina. I would never have made it this far without their unwavering strength and friendship.

TMR

This thesis is dedicated to my parents, Ruth and Paul Roy and to my brother, Lance.