Mathematics for Computer Graphics

Baffled by maths? Then don't give up hope.

John Vince will show you how to understand many of the mathematical ideas used in computer animation, virtual reality, CAD, and other areas of computer graphics.

In thirteen chapters you will rediscover - and hopefully discover for the first time a new way of understanding - the mathematical techniques required to solve problems and design computer programs for computer graphic applications. Each chapter explores a specific mathematical topic and takes you forward into more advanced areas until you are able to understand 3D curves and surface patches, and solve problems using vectors.

After reading the book, you should be able to refer to more challenging books with confidence and develop a greater insight into the design of computer graphics software.

Get to grips with mathematics fast - Numbers, Algebra, Trigonometry, Coordinate geometry, Transforms, Vectors, Curves and surfaces, Barycentric coordinates, Analytic geometry.

The book you will read once, and refer to over and over again!

John Vince explains a wide range of mathematical techniques and problem-solving strategies associated with computer games, computer animation, virtual reality, CAD and other areas of computer graphics in this completely revised and expanded fifth edition.

The first five chapters cover a general introduction, number sets, algebra, trigonometry and coordinate systems, which are employed in the following chapters on vectors, matrix algebra, transforms, interpolation, curves and patches, analytic geometry and barycentric coordinates. Following this, the reader is introduced to the relatively new topic of geometric algebra, followed by two chapters that introduce differential and integral calculus. Finally, there is a chapter on worked examples.

Mathematics for Computer Graphics covers all of the key areas of the subject, including:

·        Number sets

·        Algebra

·        Trigonometry

·        Coordinate systems

·        Determinants

·        Vectors

·        Quaternions

·        Matrix algebra

·        Geometric transforms

·        Interpolation

·        Curves and surfaces

·        Analytic geometry

·        Barycentric coordinates

·        Geometric algebra

·        Differential calculus

·        Integral calculus

This fifth edition contains over 120 worked examples and over 320 colour illustrations, which are central to the author’s descriptive writing style. Mathematics for Computer Graphics provides a sound understanding of the mathematics required for computer graphics, giving a fascinating insight into the design of computer graphics software and setting the scene for further reading of more advanced books and technical research papers.