Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
I , J ,and K are three different solutions of the matrix equation X 2 =
U and should
be considered the square roots of minus the identity matrix.
Quaternions can also be viewed as elements of a four-dimensional vector space ,one
of whose bases are given by
0100
00 0
1
1000
0001
00
00
10
01 0 0
10 0 0
i =
,
j =
,
10
00
10
00 01
10 00
0
1000
0100
0010
0001
k =
,
1 =
.
100
Quaternions satisfy the following identities, also known as Hamilton's Rules,
i 2 = j 2 = k 2 = 1 ,
ij = ji = k ,
jk = kj = i ,
ki = ik = j .
They have the following multiplication table:
1i
j
k
1
1i
j
k
i
i
1k
j
j
j
k
1i
k
kj
i
1
The eight quaternions
±
1 ,
±
i ,
±
j ,and
±
k form a group of order 8 with multipli-
cation as the group operation.
Quaternions can also be interpreted as a combination of a scalar and a vector. They
are consequently closely related to 4-vectors. Using this interpretation, a quaternion q
can be represented as the sum q = w + x i + y j + z k , the 4-tuples ( x, y, z, w )and
( w, x, y, z ), or the pair [ s, v ], where s = w and v =( x, y, z ).
Theconjugatequaternionisgivenby q = w
x i
y j
z k . The sum or difference
of two quaternions is the obvious
q 1 ± q 2 =( w 1 + w 2 )
±
( x 1 + x 2 ) i ±
( y 1 + y 2 ) j ±
( z 1 + z 2 ) k =[ s 1 ±
s 2 , ( v 1 ± v 2 )] ,
and the product is the nonobvious
q 1 · q 2 =( w 1 w 2
x 1 x 2
y 1 y 2
z 1 z 2 )+( w 1 x 2 + x 1 w 2 + y 1 z 2
z 1 y 2 ) i
+( w 1 y 2
x 1 z 2 + y 1 w 2 + z 1 x 2 ) j +( w 1 z 2 + x 1 y 2
y 1 x 2 + z 1 w 2 ) k
=[( s 1 s 2 v 1 v 2 ) , ( s 1 v 2 + s 2 v 1 + v 1 × v 2 )] .
A quaternion product is associative (i.e., ( q 1 q 2 ) q 3 = q 1 ( q 2 q 3 )) but not commutative.
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search