For simple things like an infinitely bouncing 3d logo this is a good solution.
For things like particle effects in games or projectiles, the line starts to get blurrier. At some point, collision detection rears its head, and you end up storing state after all.
Particles are a good example because if possible you do want a closed-form solution that you can just run on the GPU each frame. But that limits what you can simulate. So either approach can be the correct one depending on your precise requirements.
For things like particle effects in games or projectiles, the line starts to get blurrier. At some point, collision detection rears its head, and you end up storing state after all.
Right tools for the job as always!