The radiosity method, originally a computation tool for thermal engineers, has evolved in recent years into a powerful and flexible simulation technique for radiant energy transfer. The ability to compute quantitatively accurate simulations of light transfers has opened a vast domain of applications for computer graphics. Thermal radiation studies, lighting design and remote sensing are a few of the fields affected by this exciting technique for producing synthetic images. Here, the authors reformulate some of the most recent and innovative research results into a consistent framework, allowing readers to quickly acquire a comprehensive view of the technique and its derivatives. In addition to reviewing practical issues and offering recommendations, the authors also provide a complete theoretical presentation of the various radiosity algorithms. Special highlights include 93 illustrations and 45 color plates and a practical guide which provides detailed information on various design issues for the development of global illumination software.