 Composition of rotation matrices

Apply $R_1$ to a column coordinate vector, then apply $R_2$ in the same fixed basis. The function composition isThus the rightmost matrix acts first. The product is again a rotation matrix, since $(R_2{R}_1{)}^T(R_2{R}_1)=I$ and $\det (R_2{R}_1)=1$. For planar rotations about the same origin, the sine addition formula and cosine addition formula giveFor a concrete composition of rotation matrices, first rotate $(2,0{)}^T$ by $\pi /3$ radians, reaching $(1,\sqrt{3}{)}^T$, then by $\pi /6$ radians:The total angle is $\pi /2$. Reversing these two planar rotations gives the same answer, but noncommuting rotations about fixed axes show why one cannot assume that property for rotations in three dimensions.^[ref]