A method is provided for providing scroll-wheel functionality on a touchpad without the touchpad predefining a scroll-wheel. The method includes receiving data corresponding to progressive movement of a touch point on the touchpad, determining from the received data that the progressive movement is substantially elliptical, defining an ellipse around an ellipse center. The method further includes detecting, based on the determined movement, continued angular movement of the touch point around the ellipse center, and registering the continued angular movement as one or more scroll events in the computing system.