use of the painter’s algorithm. Basic graphical structure The painter's algorithm is not as complex in structure as its other depth sorting algorithm counterparts. Components such as the depth-based rendering order, as employed by the painter’s algorithm, are one of the simplest ways to designate the order of graphical production. This simplicity makes it useful in basic computer graphics output scenarios where an unsophisticated render will need to be made with little struggle. Memory efficiency In the early 70s, when the painter’s algorithm was developed, physical memory was relatively small. This required programs to manage memory as efficiently as possible to conduct large tasks without crashing. The painter’s algorithm prioritizes the efficient use of memory but at the expense of higher processing power since all parts of all images must be rendered. Limitations The algorithm can fail in some cases, including cyclic overlap or piercing polygons. Cyclical Overlapping In the case of cyclic overlap, as shown in the figure to the right, Polygons A, B, and C overlap each other in such a way that it is impossible to determine which polygon is above the others. In this case, the offending polygons must be cut to allow sorting. Piercing polygons The case of piercing polygons arises when one polygon intersects another. Similar to cyclic overlap, this problem may be resolved by cutting the offending polygons. Efficiency In basic implementations, the painter's algorithm can be inefficient. It forces the system to render each point on every polygon in the visible set, even if that polygon is occluded in the finished scene. This means that, for detailed scenes, the painter's algorithm can overly tax the computer hardware. Variants Extended painter's algorithm Newell's algorithm, proposed as the extended algorithm to painter's algorithm, provides a method for cutting cyclical and piercing polygons. Reverse painter's algorithm Another variant of painter's algorithm includes reverse painter's algorithm'''. Reverse painter's algorithm paints objects nearest to the viewer first — with the rule that paint must never be applied to parts of the image that are already painted (unless they are partially transparent). In a computer graphic system, this can be very efficient since it is not necessary to calculate the colors (using lighting, texturing, and such) for parts of a distant scene that are hidden by nearby objects. However, the reverse algorithm suffers from many of the same problems as the standard version. Other computer graphics algorithms The