• DocumentCode
    1030146
  • Title

    Extension of Euler´s theorem to n-dimensional spaces

  • Author

    Bar-Itzhack, Itzhack Y.

  • Author_Institution
    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
  • Volume
    25
  • Issue
    6
  • fYear
    1989
  • fDate
    11/1/1989 12:00:00 AM
  • Firstpage
    903
  • Lastpage
    909
  • Abstract
    Euler´s theorem states that any sequence of finite rotations of a rigid body can be described as a single rotation of the body about a fixed axis in three-dimensional Euclidean space. The usual statement of the theorem in the literature cannot be extended to Euclidean spaces of other dimensions. Equivalent formulations of the theorem are given and proved in a way which does not limit them to the three-dimensional Euclidean space. Thus, the equivalent theorems hold in other dimensions. The proof of one formulation presents an algorithm which shows how to compute an angular-difference matrix that represents a single rotation which is equivalent to the sequence of rotations that have generated the final n-D orientation. This algorithm results also in a constant angular velocity which, when applied to the initial orientation, eventually yields the final orientation regardless of what angular velocity generated the latter. The extension of the theorem is demonstrated in a four-dimensional numerical example. The issue of the correct n-D representation of angular velocity is discussed
  • Keywords
    classical mechanics; matrix algebra; rotating bodies; Euler´s theorem; angular-difference matrix; constant angular velocity; equivalent theorems; finite rotations; four-dimensional numerical example; n-D orientation; n-dimensional spaces; rigid body; single rotation; three-dimensional Euclidean space; Angular velocity; Councils; Equations; Modems; NASA; Position measurement;
  • fLanguage
    English
  • Journal_Title
    Aerospace and Electronic Systems, IEEE Transactions on
  • Publisher
    ieee
  • ISSN
    0018-9251
  • Type

    jour

  • DOI
    10.1109/7.40731
  • Filename
    40731