Resolving a Circle-Circle Collision

Question

I am writing software that extends Circle-Rectangle collision detection (intersection) to include responses to the collision. Circle-edge and circle-rectangle are rather str

Answer 1

If you're looking for a basic reference on inelastic collisions for circular objects, Pool Hall Lessons: Fast, Accurate Collision Detection Between Circles or Spheres by Joe van den Heuvel and Miles Jackson is very easy to follow.

From least formal to most formal, here are some follow up references on the craft of implementing the programming that underpins the solution to your question (collision responses).

• Brian Beckman & Charles Torre The Physics in Games - Real-Time Simulation Explained
• Chris Hecker, Physics, Part 3: Collision Response, Game Developer 1997
• David Baraff, Physically Based Modeling: Principles and Practice, Online Siggraph '97 Course notes, of particular relevance are the Slides for rigid body simulations.

You're going to have to accept some approximations - Beckman demonstrates in the video that even for very simple cases, it isn't possible to analytically predict what would occur, this is even worse because you are simulating a continuous system with discrete steps.