The ambient spaces of computer graphics and geometric modeling

Author

Goldman, Ron

Author_Institution

Dept. of Comput. Sci., Rice Univ., Houston, TX, USA

Volume

20

Issue

2

fYear

2000

Firstpage

76

Lastpage

84

Abstract

Four types of ambient mathematical spaces underlie the algebra and geometry of computer graphics and geometric modeling: vector spaces, affine spaces, projective spaces, and Grassmann spaces (H.G. Grassmann, 1894-1911). The author considers at length the theoretical advantages of the coordinate-free approach to understanding geometry. He focuses attention on the operations of addition, subtraction, and scalar multiplication because these are the operations best suited for the construction of freeform curves and surfaces. But there are also spaces with multiplicative structures: structures already coming into vogue in physics (D. Hestenes, 1992) and perhaps of use as well in the fields of computer graphics and computer aided design

Keywords

CAD; computational geometry; computer graphics; vectors; Grassmann spaces; affine spaces; algebra; ambient spaces; computer aided design; computer graphics; coordinate-free approach; freeform curves; geometric modeling; geometry; mathematical spaces; multiplicative structures; projective spaces; scalar multiplication; vector spaces; Acceleration; Algebra; Computational geometry; Computer graphics; Equations; Large Hadron Collider; Operating systems; Polynomials; Solid modeling; Vectors;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Computer Graphics and Applications, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0272-1716

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/38.824547

Filename

824547