Mathematics For Computer Graphics Applications

This is a concise and informal introductory book on the mathematical concepts that underpin computer graphics. The author, John Vince, makes the concepts easy to understand, enabling non-experts to come to terms with computer animation work. The book complements the author's other works and is written in the same accessible and easy-to-read style. It is also a useful reference book for programmers working in the field of computer graphics, virtual reality, computer animation, as well as students on digital media courses, and even mathematics courses.

"Mathematics for Computer Graphics Applications is written for several audiences: for college students majoring in computer science, engineering, or applied mathematics and science, whose special interests are in computer graphics, CAD/CAM, geometric modeling, visualization, or related subjects; for industry and government on-the-job training of employees whose skills can be profitably expanded into these areas; and for the professional working in these fields in need of a comprehensive reference and skills refresher."--BOOK JACKET.

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. Covering all the mathematical techniques required to resolve geometric problems and design computer programs for computer graphic applications, each chapter explores a specific mathematical topic prior to moving forward into the more advanced areas of matrix transforms, 3D curves and surface patches. Problem-solving techniques using vector analysis and geometric algebra are also discussed. All the key areas are covered including: Numbers, Algebra, Trigonometry, Coordinate geometry, Transforms, Vectors, Curves and surfaces, Barycentric coordinates, Analytic geometry. Plus – and unusually in a student textbook – a chapter on geometric algebra is included.

Students studying different branches of computer graphics have to be familiar with geometry, matrices, vectors, rotation transforms, quaternions, curves and surfaces and as computer graphics software becomes increasingly sophisticated, calculus is also being used to resolve its associated problems. In this 2nd edition, the author extends the scope of the original book to include applications of calculus in the areas of arc-length parameterisation of curves, geometric continuity, tangent and normal vectors, and curvature. The author draws upon his experience in teaching mathematics to undergraduates to make calculus appear no more challenging than any other branch of mathematics. He introduces the subject by examining how functions depend upon their independent variables, and then derives the appropriate mathematical underpinning and definitions. This gives rise to a function’s derivative and its antiderivative, or integral. Using the idea of limits, the reader is introduced to derivatives and integrals of many common functions. Other chapters address higher-order derivatives, partial derivatives, Jacobians, vector-based functions, single, double and triple integrals, with numerous worked examples, and over a hundred and seventy colour illustrations. This book complements the author’s other books on mathematics for computer graphics, and assumes that the reader is familiar with everyday algebra, trigonometry, vectors and determinants. After studying this book, the reader should understand calculus and its application within the world of computer graphics, games and animation.

Presents introductory and advanced topics in the field of computer graphics with mathematical descriptions and derivations. This book offers a balance of theory, applications, and code, and derives the underlying numerical methods and algorithms. It contains the classes in C# necessary for computer graphics, and offers an explanation of the code.

Mathematical optimization is used in nearly all computer graphics applications, from computer vision to animation. This book teaches readers the core set of techniques that every computer graphics professional should understand in order to envision and expand the boundaries of what is possible in their work. Study of this authoritative reference will help readers develop a very powerful tool- the ability to create and decipher mathematical models that can better realize solutions to even the toughest problems confronting computer graphics community today. *Distills down a vast and complex world of information on optimization into one short, self-contained volume especially for computer graphics *Helps CG professionals identify the best technique for solving particular problems quickly, by categorizing the most effective algorithms by application *Keeps readers current by supplementing the focus on key, classic methods with special end-of-chapter sections on cutting-edge developments

This book introduces the mathematical concepts that underpin computer graphics. It is written in an approachable way, without burdening readers with the skills of ow to do'things. The author discusses those aspects of mathematics that relate to the computer synthesis of images, and so gives users a better understanding of the limitations of computer graphics systems. Users of computer graphics who have no formal training and wish to understand the essential foundations of computer graphics systems will find this book very useful, as will mathematicians who want to understand how their subject is used in computer image synthesis. '

This textbook, first published in 2003, emphasises the fundamentals and the mathematics underlying computer graphics. The minimal prerequisites, a basic knowledge of calculus and vectors plus some programming experience in C or C++, make the book suitable for self study or for use as an advanced undergraduate or introductory graduate text. The author gives a thorough treatment of transformations and viewing, lighting and shading models, interpolation and averaging, Bézier curves and B-splines, ray tracing and radiosity, and intersection testing with rays. Additional topics, covered in less depth, include texture mapping and colour theory. The book covers some aspects of animation, including quaternions, orientation, and inverse kinematics, and includes source code for a Ray Tracing software package. The book is intended for use along with any OpenGL programming book, but the crucial features of OpenGL are briefly covered to help readers get up to speed. Accompanying software is available freely from the book's web site.