Octree
In plain terms
The 3D analog of a quadtree, dividing space into eight octants.
Going deeper
An octree recursively splits 3D space into eight cubes to organize volumetric data efficiently. It's widely used in 3D graphics and simulation.
Under the hood
Adapts subdivision to 3D detail; accelerates rendering, collision, and point-cloud queries.
Examples
3D rendering, voxel engines (Minecraft-like), point clouds, physics.
Think of it like...
Like dividing a room into eight smaller cubes, then subdividing only the crowded corners.