Visualizing quaternions

This intermediate-level tutorial provides a comprehensive approach to the visualization of quaternions and their relationships to computer graphics and scientific visualization. The introduction focuses on a selection of everyday phenomena involving rotating objects whose explanation for an audience that is technically trained but not pure mathematicians is essentially impossible without a quaternion visualization. The course will then pursue selected examples of quaternion-based visualization methods to help explain the behavior of quaternion manifolds: quaternion representations of orientation frames attached to curves, surfaces, and volumes.

[1]  Michael A. Saunders,et al.  MINOS 5. 0 user's guide , 1983 .

[2]  Andrew J. Hanson Visualizing Quaternions (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive 3D Technology) , 2006 .

[3]  D. M. Y. Sommerville,et al.  An Introduction to The Geometry of N Dimensions , 2022 .

[4]  W. Drechsler,et al.  Fiber bundle techniques in gauge theories , 1977 .

[5]  Andrew J. Hanson,et al.  Virtual reality performance for virtual geometry , 1994, Proceedings Visualization '94.

[6]  Abigail Sellen,et al.  A study in interactive 3-D rotation using 2-D control devices , 1988, SIGGRAPH.

[7]  H. Whitney The singularities of a smooth n-manifold in (2n-1)-space , 1944 .

[8]  David Eberly,et al.  Quaternion Algebra and Calculus , 2002 .

[9]  Steven K. Feiner,et al.  Visualizing n-dimensional virtual worlds with n-vision , 1990, I3D '90.

[10]  Steven K. Feiner,et al.  Worlds within worlds: metaphors for exploring n-dimensional virtual worlds , 1990, UIST '90.

[11]  Graham J. L. Kemp,et al.  Fast computation, rotation, and comparison of low resolution spherical harmonic molecular surfaces , 1999, J. Comput. Chem..

[12]  Jeff P. Hultquist,et al.  Constructing stream surfaces in steady 3D vector fields , 1992, Proceedings Visualization '92.

[13]  Hui Ma Curve and surface framing for scientific visualization and domain dependent navigation , 1996 .

[14]  Thomas Ertl,et al.  Computer Graphics - Principles and Practice, 3rd Edition , 2014 .

[15]  Andrew J. Hanson,et al.  Quaternion Frame Approach to Streamline Visualization , 1995, IEEE Trans. Vis. Comput. Graph..

[16]  Nelson Max Computer Representation of Molecular Surfaces , 1983 .

[17]  Ken Shoemake,et al.  Arcball Rotation Control , 1994, Graphics Gems.

[18]  Brian Osserman DIFFERENTIAL FORMS , 2005 .

[19]  James T. Kajiya,et al.  Rendering fur with three dimensional textures , 1989, SIGGRAPH.

[20]  M. Carter Computer graphics: Principles and practice , 1997 .

[21]  Richard Szeliski,et al.  Surface modeling with oriented particle systems , 1992, SIGGRAPH.

[22]  Andrew J. Hanson,et al.  Space Walking , 1995, IEEE Visualization.

[23]  Daniel Pletinckx,et al.  Quaternion calculus as a basic tool in computer graphics , 2005, The Visual Computer.

[24]  J. Wermer,et al.  Linear Algebra Through Geometry , 1984 .

[25]  H. C. Corben,et al.  Classical Mechanics (2nd ed.) , 1961 .

[26]  John C. Platt,et al.  Constraints methods for flexible models , 1988, SIGGRAPH.

[27]  A. Gray,et al.  Modern Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces with Mathematica, Third Edition (Studies in Advanced Mathematics) , 2006 .

[28]  A. Hanson Quaternion Gauss Maps and Optimal Framings of Curves and Surfaces , 1999 .

[30]  A. Gray Modern Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces , 1993 .

[31]  H. Brauner H. R. Müller, Sphärische Kinematik. X + 121 S. mit 6 Abb. Berlin 1962. VEB Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften. Preis geb. DM 25,— , 1963 .

[32]  Philip E. Brou Using the Gaussian Image to Find the Orientation of Objects , 1984 .

[33]  F. Sebastian Grassia,et al.  Practical Parameterization of Rotations Using the Exponential Map , 1998, J. Graphics, GPU, & Game Tools.

[34]  Samuel R. Buss,et al.  Spherical averages and applications to spherical splines and interpolation , 2001, TOGS.

[35]  R. Gilmore,et al.  Lie Groups, Lie Algebras, and Some of Their Applications , 1974 .

[36]  Andrew J. Hanson,et al.  Gravitation, Gauge Theories and Differential Geometry , 1980 .

[37]  Andrew J. Hanson,et al.  Rotations for N-Dimensional Graphics , 1995 .

[38]  Edmund Taylor Whittaker,et al.  A Treatise on the Analytical Dynamics of Particles and Rigid Bodies: THE GENERAL THEORY OF ORBITS , 1988 .

[39]  R. Bishop There is More than One Way to Frame a Curve , 1975 .

[40]  J. L. Brown,et al.  Problems with defining barycentric coordinates for the sphere , 1992 .

[41]  A. Erdélyi,et al.  Higher Transcendental Functions , 1954 .

[42]  Roger Fenn,et al.  Quaternions and Octonions , 2001 .

[43]  A. Hanson A Construction for Computer Visualization of Certain Complex Curves , 1994 .

[44]  Jeremy Gray,et al.  Olinde Rodrigues' paper of 1840 on transformation groups , 1980 .

[45]  John M. Lee Riemannian Manifolds: An Introduction to Curvature , 1997 .

[46]  J. Bloomenthal Calculation of reference frames along a space curve , 1990 .

[47]  Kenneth A. Brakke,et al.  The Surface Evolver , 1992, Exp. Math..

[48]  J. Junkins,et al.  Optimal Spacecraft Rotational Maneuvers , 1986 .

[49]  A. R. Forsyth Geometry of four dimensions , 1931 .

[50]  J. W. Humberston Classical mechanics , 1980, Nature.

[51]  Andrew S. Glassner,et al.  Graphics Gems , 1990 .

[52]  A. Kyrala Theoretical physics; applications of vectors, matrices, tensors and quaternions , 1967 .

[53]  H. Whitney The Self-Intersections of a Smooth n-Manifold in 2n-Space , 1944 .

[54]  A. Michael Noll A computer technique for displaying n-dimensional hyperobjects , 1967, CACM.

[55]  David H. Eberly,et al.  Geometric Tools for Computer Graphics , 2002 .

[56]  A. Erdélyi,et al.  Tables of integral transforms , 1955 .

[57]  John C. Hart,et al.  Visualizing quaternion rotation , 1994, TOGS.

[58]  Andrew J. Hanson,et al.  Constrained 3D navigation with 2D controllers , 1997 .

[59]  Luther Pfahler Eisenhart,et al.  A Treatise on the Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces , 1961, The Mathematical Gazette.

[60]  H. Brauner W. Blaschke, Kinematik und Quaternionen. (Mathematische Monographien) VIII + 84 S. Berlin 1960. Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften. Preis geb. DM 20,40 , 1962 .

[61]  P. Hughes Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics , 1986 .

[62]  George K. Francis A Topological Picturebook , 1988 .

[63]  M. Tinkham Group Theory and Quantum Mechanics , 1964 .

[64]  William Rowan Hamilton,et al.  Lectures on quaternions , 1853 .

[65]  Thomas Banchoff Beyond the Third Dimension: Geometry, Computer Graphics, and Higher Dimensions , 1990 .

[66]  D. Struik Lectures on classical differential geometry , 1951 .

[67]  A. R. Edmonds Angular Momentum in Quantum Mechanics , 1957 .

[68]  Ken Shoemake Fiber Bundle Twist Reduction , 1994, Graphics Gems.

[69]  M. Shuster A survey of attitude representation , 1993 .

[70]  H. Pottmann,et al.  Energy-minimizing splines in manifolds , 2004, SIGGRAPH 2004.

[71]  Frank Chongwoo Park,et al.  Smooth invariant interpolation of rotations , 1997, TOGS.

[72]  John Milnor,et al.  Some Consequences of a Theorem of Bott , 1958 .

[73]  Pheng-Ann Heng,et al.  Illuminating the fourth dimension , 1992, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications.

[74]  Dana H. Ballard,et al.  Splines as embeddings for generalized cylinders , 1982 .

[75]  H. S. Morton A formulation of rigid-body rotational dynamics based on generalized angular momentum variables corresponding to the Euler parameters , 1984 .

[76]  J. Michael McCarthy,et al.  Introduction to theoretical kinematics , 1990 .

[77]  Christoph M. Hoffmann,et al.  Some techniques for visualizing surfaces in four-dimensional space , 1991, Comput. Aided Des..

[78]  J. Kuipers Quaternions and Rotation Sequences , 1998 .

[79]  Ken Shoemake,et al.  Animating rotation with quaternion curves , 1985, SIGGRAPH.

[80]  John F. Hughes,et al.  Modeling surfaces of arbitrary topology using manifolds , 1995, SIGGRAPH.

[81]  S. Altmann Rotations, Quaternions, and Double Groups , 1986 .

[82]  M. G. Wagner,et al.  Computer-Aided Design With Spatial Rational B-Spline Motions , 1996 .

[83]  E. Wright,et al.  An Introduction to the Theory of Numbers , 1939 .

[84]  David C. Banks,et al.  Illumination in diverse codimensions , 1994, SIGGRAPH.

[85]  Pascal Fua,et al.  Automatic Determination of Shoulder Joint Limits using Experimentally Determined Quaternion Field Boundaries , 2003 .

[86]  Bowen Alpern,et al.  Orientation maps: techniques for visualizing rotations (a consumer's guide) , 1993, VIS '93.

[87]  A. S. Solodovnikov,et al.  Hypercomplex Numbers: An Elementary Introduction to Algebras , 1989 .

[88]  Pascal Fua,et al.  An automatic method for determining quaternion field boundaries for ball-and-socket joint limits , 2002, Proceedings of Fifth IEEE International Conference on Automatic Face Gesture Recognition.

[89]  N. Steenrod Topology of Fibre Bundles , 1951 .

[90]  Pheng-Ann Heng,et al.  Visualizing the fourth dimension using geometry and light , 1991, Proceeding Visualization '91.

[91]  Sung Yong Shin,et al.  A general construction scheme for unit quaternion curves with simple high order derivatives , 1995, SIGGRAPH.

[92]  J. Schlag VIII.4 – USING GEOMETRIC CONSTRUCTIONS TO INTERPOLATE ORIENTATION WITH QUATERNIONS , 1991 .

[93]  Pheng-Ann Heng,et al.  Four-dimensional views of 3D scalar fields , 1992, Proceedings Visualization '92.

[94]  E. J. Haug,et al.  Computer aided kinematics and dynamics of mechanical systems. Vol. 1: basic methods , 1989 .

[95]  Larry L. Schumaker,et al.  Bernstein-Bézier polynomials on spheres and sphere-like surfaces , 1996, Comput. Aided Geom. Des..

[96]  Patrick R. Girard,et al.  Quaternions, Clifford Algebras and Relativistic Physics , 2007 .

[97]  Andrew J. Hanson,et al.  Geometry for N-Dimensional Graphics , 1994, Graphics Gems.

[98]  D. Hilbert,et al.  Geometry and the Imagination , 1953 .

[99]  Wilhelm Blaschke,et al.  Kinematik und Quaternionen , 1960 .

[100]  H. Coxeter,et al.  Regular Complex Polytopes , 1991 .

[101]  Fopke Klok Two moving coordinate frames for sweeping along a 3D trajectory , 1986, Comput. Aided Geom. Des..

[102]  A. Hurwitz Über die Komposition der quadratischen Formen von beliebig vielen Variablen , 1963 .

[103]  C. Moller,et al.  The Theory of Relativity , 1953, The Mathematical Gazette.

[104]  Jeffrey R. Weeks,et al.  The Shape of Space , 1986 .

[105]  Andrew J. Hanson,et al.  Interactive visualization methods for four dimensions , 1993, Proceedings Visualization '93.

[106]  John C. Russ,et al.  The Image Processing Handbook , 2016, Microscopy and Microanalysis.

[107]  Pertti Lounesto,et al.  Clifford Algebras with Numeric and Symbolic Computations , 1996 .

[108]  Nelson Max DNA Animation from atom to chromosome , 1985 .

[109]  James D. Louck,et al.  The Racah-Wigner algebra in quantum theory , 1981 .

[110]  J. Milnor Topology from the differentiable viewpoint , 1965 .

[111]  L. Biedenharn Angular momentum in quantum physics , 1981 .

[112]  Ravi Ramamoorthi,et al.  Fast construction of accurate quaternion splines , 1997, SIGGRAPH.

[113]  Andrew J. Hanson,et al.  Interactive methods for visualizable geometry , 1994, Computer.

[114]  Arthur Cayley,et al.  XXVIII. On Jacobi's Elliptic functions, in reply to the Rev. Brice Bronwin; and on Quaternions , 1845 .

[115]  Andrew J. Hanson,et al.  4 Rotations for N-Dimensional Graphics , 1995 .

[116]  David Banks,et al.  Interactive manipulation and display of surfaces in four dimensions , 1992, I3D '92.

[117]  Peter Scherk,et al.  Homographies, quaternions and rotations , 1966 .

[118]  T. H. Gronwall Review: F. Klein und A. Sommerfeld, Über die Theorie des Kreisels , 1916 .

[119]  James T. Kajiya,et al.  Anisotropic reflection models , 1985, SIGGRAPH.

[120]  Andrew J. Hanson The rolling ball , 1992, Graphics Gems III.

[121]  John F. Hughes,et al.  Smooth interpolation of orientations with angular velocity constraints using quaternions , 1992, SIGGRAPH.

[122]  Bert Jüttler,et al.  Visualization of moving objects using dual quaternion curves , 1994, Comput. Graph..

[123]  Pascal Fua,et al.  Hierarchical Implicit Surface Joint Limits to Constrain Video-Based Motion Capture , 2004, ECCV.

[124]  G. Nielson Smooth Interpolation of Orientations , 1993 .

[125]  Benno Artmann,et al.  The Concept of Number: From Quaternions to Monads and Topological Fields , 1988 .

[126]  Andrew J. Hanson,et al.  Visualizing flow with quaternion frames , 1994, Proceedings Visualization '94.

[127]  S. Altmann,et al.  Hamilton, Rodrigues, and the Quaternion Scandal , 1989 .

[128]  Jack B. Kuipers,et al.  Quaternions and Rotation Sequences: A Primer with Applications to Orbits, Aerospace and Virtual Reality , 2002 .

[129]  John C. Baez,et al.  The Octonions , 2001 .

[130]  J. Dai An historical review of the theoretical development of rigid body displacements from Rodrigues parameters to the finite twist , 2006 .

[131]  A. CLIFFORD MODULES , 1964 .

[132]  Eugene P. Wigner,et al.  80 Years of Professor Wigner's Seminal Work "On Unitary Representations of the Inhomogeneous Lorentz Group" , 2021 .

[133]  Michael G. Crowe,et al.  A History of Vector Analysis , 1969 .

[134]  H. Woltring 3-D attitude representation of human joints: a standardization proposal. , 1994, Journal of biomechanics.

[135]  David W. Brisson Hypergraphics : visualizing complex relationships in art, science, and technology , 1978 .