Convert light frequency to RGB?

Question

Does anyone know of any formula for converting a light frequency to an RGB value?

Answer 1

For lazy guys (like me), here is an implementation in java of the code found in @user151323 's answer (that is, just a simple translation from pascal code found in Spectra Lab Report):

static private final double Gamma = 0.80;
static private final double IntensityMax = 255;

/**
 * Taken from Earl F. Glynn's web page:
 * Spectra Lab Report
 */
public static int[] waveLengthToRGB(double Wavelength) {
    double factor;
    double Red, Green, Blue;

    if((Wavelength >= 380) && (Wavelength < 440)) {
        Red = -(Wavelength - 440) / (440 - 380);
        Green = 0.0;
        Blue = 1.0;
    } else if((Wavelength >= 440) && (Wavelength < 490)) {
        Red = 0.0;
        Green = (Wavelength - 440) / (490 - 440);
        Blue = 1.0;
    } else if((Wavelength >= 490) && (Wavelength < 510)) {
        Red = 0.0;
        Green = 1.0;
        Blue = -(Wavelength - 510) / (510 - 490);
    } else if((Wavelength >= 510) && (Wavelength < 580)) {
        Red = (Wavelength - 510) / (580 - 510);
        Green = 1.0;
        Blue = 0.0;
    } else if((Wavelength >= 580) && (Wavelength < 645)) {
        Red = 1.0;
        Green = -(Wavelength - 645) / (645 - 580);
        Blue = 0.0;
    } else if((Wavelength >= 645) && (Wavelength < 781)) {
        Red = 1.0;
        Green = 0.0;
        Blue = 0.0;
    } else {
        Red = 0.0;
        Green = 0.0;
        Blue = 0.0;
    }

    // Let the intensity fall off near the vision limits

    if((Wavelength >= 380) && (Wavelength < 420)) {
        factor = 0.3 + 0.7 * (Wavelength - 380) / (420 - 380);
    } else if((Wavelength >= 420) && (Wavelength < 701)) {
        factor = 1.0;
    } else if((Wavelength >= 701) && (Wavelength < 781)) {
        factor = 0.3 + 0.7 * (780 - Wavelength) / (780 - 700);
    } else {
        factor = 0.0;
    }


    int[] rgb = new int[3];

    // Don't want 0^x = 1 for x <> 0
    rgb[0] = Red == 0.0 ? 0 : (int)Math.round(IntensityMax * Math.pow(Red * factor, Gamma));
    rgb[1] = Green == 0.0 ? 0 : (int)Math.round(IntensityMax * Math.pow(Green * factor, Gamma));
    rgb[2] = Blue == 0.0 ? 0 : (int)Math.round(IntensityMax * Math.pow(Blue * factor, Gamma));

    return rgb;
}