Do I need to install anything?

No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.

For Educators · Abelian Sandpile

Abelian Sandpile for a river delta

Built for educators teaching it to a class. Drop a live demo into a lecture or assign it as a shareable link — no lab installs. Simulate a river delta live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Abelian SandpileLive

self-organized criticality

Controls

Speed1×

Grains drop on the center cell. When a cell reaches 4 grains it topples, sending one to each neighbor — which can trigger chain-reaction avalanches. The pile self-organizes into an intricate fractal at the critical slope.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Grains added0

Last avalanche0

Topple at4 grains

Governing equation

z_{ij} \geq 4 : z_{ij} \to z_{ij} - 4, z_{nbr} \to z_{nbr} + 1; grains = 0

Reading this result: The pile is still filling toward its critical slope; once cells reach 4 grains, chain-reaction topples begin.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

or unlock everything with Pro →

Also for:Students Researchers Engineers Hobbyists & Makers K-12 Students First Responders General version →

More with Abelian Sandpile

Abelian Sandpile for a traffic jam Abelian Sandpile for a bird flock Abelian Sandpile for a forest fire Abelian Sandpile for a crowd evacuation Abelian Sandpile for an ant colony Abelian Sandpile for a rumor spreading Abelian Sandpile for a market bubble Abelian Sandpile for a power-grid cascade

Frequently asked questions

Is this good for educators?: Yes — this version of "Abelian Sandpile for a river delta" is framed for educators teaching it to a class. Drop a live demo into a lecture or assign it as a shareable link — no lab installs.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.