Questions tagged [rotations]

This tag is for questions about rotations: a type of rigid motion in a space.

In 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional Euclidean space, the rotation is a type of distance-preserving linear transformation that has a fixed point and preserves orientation. In terms of the usual inner product $\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle$ on $\Bbb R^2$ and $\Bbb R^3$, rotations are the transformations $T$ such that $\langle Tx,Ty\rangle=\langle x,y\rangle$ for all $x,y$, and the determinant of $T$ is equal to 1.

Geometrically, the rotation in $\Bbb R^2$, "spins" the plane around a point without flipping the plane or sliding it. In $\Bbb R^3$, a rotation fixes a line (called the axis of rotation) and "spins" the space around this line (without reflecting or sliding).

More generally, given an inner product space $V$ over a field $\Bbb F$, anything in the part of the orthogonal group connected to the identity can be considered a "rotation." This allows rotations to be defined for $\Bbb R^n$ for $n$ greater than 2 and 3, as well as vector spaces over fields other than $\Bbb R$.

As an example, the space $\Bbb R^4$ with a non-Euclidean metric $(1,1,1,-1)$ is Minkowski space which is a model for special relativity. Rotations still play an important role here beyond that of rotations in the spacial coordinates. For example, Lorentz transformations are rotations which move the time coordinate.

Rotations can also be represented in terms of matrices and the tag often goes with this tag, as questions can pertain to rotation matrices.

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To Convert Rotation Vector to Rotation Matrix, the Rotation Vector Must be Unit?

I have a following formula to convert rotation vector($K\in \Bbb R^3$) to rotation matrix ($R \in SO(3)$) where $I$ is an identity matrix and K could be uniquely acquired from the conversion of an unit vector $k$ which corresponds to the axis of…
Beverlie
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Number of parameters to describe rotation in $n$ dimensions.

To preserve the inner product of vectors $x'\cdot x' = x\cdot x $ The linear transformation $ x' = U x $, needs to satisfy $UU^T=I$. How many free parameters are we left with? And also, if we require that $\det(U) = +1$ shouldn't that reduce the…
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Axis Rotation to determine new points

I am looking at this answer . https://math.stackexchange.com/a/62248/474907, but the formula c = cos(a); // compute trig. functions only once s = sin(a); xr = xt * c - yt * s; yr = xt * s + yt * c; differs from the wikipedia entry. So, I am a…
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Angular velocity about arbitrary axis

Let $R$ be a Cartesian right-handed frame rotating with angular velocity $\omega_x$about its $x$-axis with respect to an inertial frame $F$, that is, $\mathbf{\omega}=[\omega_x \ 0 \ 0]^T$. let's define a vector $\mathbf{r}=[r_1 \ r_2 \ r_3]^T$ in…
Asman
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Axes of rotation in 4D

In the Eucledian 3D space, only one axis of rotation is possible at one time for a body, such as a sphere. So we have a 2D plane of rotation perpendicular to the 1D axis of rotation, the total of 3D. Easy to visualize. Now, in 4D, not so easy to…
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Describing an arbitrary transformation of two vectors which preserves their lengths & angles

I'm trying to come up with a compact metric which describes the similarity between two pairs of vectors in 3D (or higher) space, assuming that the angle between the two vectors in each pair is the same. Something that seems logical is angle.…
Evan
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Find principal axis of rotation

I have a body in 3D-space and I would like to calculate the rotation axis when the body moves from A to B. I know the location (x, y and z) and the orientation (rx, ry and rz (axis angles)) at both A and B. I have read about Rodriguez' rotation…
Daniel
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Aircraft attitude - mathematical tool to extract acceleration

I am a junior aerospace engineer and what I am trying to do is getting the acceleration component which is perpendicular to the earth - no matter how the plane is oriented or rotated. If the plane would always be horizontal (for e.g. on a road) I…
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Clarifying the term "rotation order" for combined rotations

I'm finding different answers when it comes to combine a set of rotations (matrices or quaternions). Let's assume we want to combine the rotations Ra, Rb and Rc in the following way: rotate (an object) using Ra, then applying Rb and then Rc. So for…
Azial
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Derivative/Integral of a rotated function.

I seem to have lost my other account, so this one is new. Anyways, my questions is: Is there a general way to produce an expression for a rotated curve that can then be integrated or differentiated like the original? I read through some of the…
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How can I make an object move torwards another in a 3D world?

I am attempting to get an object in a 3D world (namely, a missile/bullet) to select a target and move torwards it. Quick note: I'm working in degrees here. For movement along the X and Z axis (Y is the up axis), I get the yaw that the object would…
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Derive Euler angles derivative from angular velocity

I am using a robotics simulator named V-Rep. In V-Rep Euler angles $\alpha$, $\beta$ and $\gamma$ describe a rotation composed by three elemental rotations: $$Q=R_x(\alpha) R_y(\beta) R_z(\gamma)$$ where $R_x$, $R_y$ and $R_z$ represent elemental…
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two rotations of line segment in different order

there are given are two rotations: $R_1$ and $R_2$, and a line segment $AB$. the image of $R_1R_2(AB)$ is a line segment that is parallel to the line segment $R_2R_1(AB)$. my kindly request is to the reason they are parallel. I know that in both…
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Rotation matrix and invariance of norm squared

I was wondering how the distance function $(\Delta s)^2 = (\Delta r)^2 + (r \Delta \theta)^2$ can be shown to be invariant under the rotation matrix $ \begin{pmatrix} cos\ \theta & - sin\ \theta \\ sin\ \theta & cos\ \theta \end{pmatrix}$. I know…
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About rotating a vector around the unit circle and its new coordinates

Where does $\vec e_2 = \begin{bmatrix} 0 \\ 1 \end{bmatrix}$ go to? Rotate it by an angle $\theta$. Its new coordinates are $\Bigl(\cos\bigl(\theta + \frac {\pi}{2}\bigr), \sin\bigl(\theta + \frac {\pi}{2}\bigr)\Bigr)$. Any reason we add $\frac…