八叉树在三维计算机图形领域的应用可以追溯到1980年伦斯勒理工学院唐纳德·马尔(Donald Meagher)的报告《八叉树编码:使用计算机表示、操作、显示任意三维对象的新技术》(Octree Encoding: A New Technique for the Representation, Manipulation and Display of Arbitrary 3-D Objects by Computer)[1]。
^Meagher, Donald. Octree Encoding: A New Technique for the Representation, Manipulation and Display of Arbitrary 3-D Objects by Computer. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. October 1980, (Technical Report IPL-TR-80-111).