Poinsot's spirals
Poinsot's spirals, named after the French mathematician and physicist Louis Poinsot, refer to a specific family of curves that describe the path traced by a point in a three-dimensional space as it rotates around an axis in a particular manner. These curves are notable for their application in various fields, including mechanics, robotics, and computer graphics. The spirals can be defined mathematically in polar coordinates, where their general form is often expressed through equations that capture their unique geometric properties.
Polygon soup
Polygon soup is a term used in computer graphics and computational geometry to describe a collection of polygonal shapes (typically triangles or other simple polygons) that are treated as a single entity without any specific structure or organization. This term often refers to data sets where polygons are not properly organized into a coherent mesh or topology, which can lead to problems in rendering, processing, or analyzing the geometric data.
Prismatic surface
A prismatic surface is a geometric surface generated by translating a shape along a certain path or in a certain direction. This concept is particularly used in geometry and computer graphics. The most common application of prismatic surfaces occurs when dealing with polylines or curves, where the surface extends along a linear path defined by the original shape.
Procrustes transformation
Procrustes transformation, often used in statistics and shape analysis, refers to a set of statistical methods aimed at matching two sets of data points by removing non-essential differences. The primary goal is to minimize the discrepancies between shapes while preserving the intrinsic geometrical structure. Here are the key components of Procrustes transformation: 1. **Shape Alignment**: The method is typically employed to align shapes represented by points in a Euclidean space.
Projective cone
In mathematics, particularly in the field of algebraic geometry and topology, the term "projective cone" can refer to a construction involving projective spaces and cones in vector spaces.
Quaternionic polytope
A quaternionic polytope is a generalization of the concept of a polytope in the context of quaternionic geometry, much like how a polytope can be generalized from Euclidean spaces to spaces based on complex numbers. In basic terms, a polytope in Euclidean space is defined as a geometric object with flat sides, which can exist in any number of dimensions. A typical example is a polygon in 2D or a polyhedron in 3D.
Robust geometric computation
Robust geometric computation refers to methods and techniques in computational geometry that aim to ensure the accuracy and reliability of geometric algorithms under various conditions. It addresses common issues such as numerical instability, precision errors, and degeneracies that can arise due to the finite representation of numbers in computer systems. Key aspects of robust geometric computation include: 1. **Exact Arithmetic**: Using arbitrary-precision arithmetic or symbolic computation to avoid errors associated with floating-point arithmetic.
SO(5)
SO(5) refers to the special orthogonal group in five dimensions. It is the group of all orthogonal 5x5 matrices with determinant 1.
Seiffert's spiral
Seiffert's spiral is a mathematical curve that is defined as the locus of points that satisfy a particular relationship between parametric equations. It is similar in concept to other spirals, such as the Archimedean spiral and the logarithmic spiral, but it has its own unique properties.
Serpentine curve
The term "serpentine curve" can refer to a few different concepts, depending on the context. Here are the two most common: 1. **Mathematics**: In mathematics, a serpentine curve refers to a type of curve that resembles the shape of a serpent or snake, characterized by smooth, flowing bends. It can represent an infinite or a finite series of sine-like waves arranged in a serpentine or wavy pattern.
Simplicial manifold
A simplicial manifold is a type of manifold that is constructed using the concepts of simplicial complexes. In topology, a simplicial complex is a set formed by joining points (vertices) into triangles (2-simplices), which are then joined into higher-dimensional simplices. A simplicial manifold has several key properties: 1. **Locally Euclidean**: Like all manifolds, a simplicial manifold is locally homeomorphic to Euclidean space.
Slewing
Slewing can refer to different concepts depending on the context, but generally, it involves a gradual change or shift in position or orientation. Here are a few contexts in which the term is commonly used: 1. **In Astronomy**: Slewing refers to the movement of a telescope or an astronomical instrument as it adjusts its position to track celestial objects. This is particularly important in tracking moving objects like planets, comets, and satellites.
The small stellated 120-cell, also known as the stellated 120-cell or the small stellated hyperdiamond, is a specific type of honeycomb in four-dimensional space, classified among the convex regular 4-polytopes. It is a part of the family of 4-dimensional polytopes known as honeycombs, which are tessellations of four-dimensional space.
Socolar tiling
Socolar tiling refers to a type of mathematical tiling pattern that is based on a specific arrangement of tiles created by mathematician Joshua Socolar. These tilings are characterized by their ability to fill a plane with a repeating but non-periodic pattern. One well-known example of Socolar tiling is the "Socolar tiling of the plane," which can be constructed using a square tile that has a specific arrangement of colors or markings.
Solid sweep
The term "solid sweep" can refer to different concepts depending on the context in which it is used. However, there are a couple of common interpretations: 1. **Sports Context**: In sports like baseball or basketball, a "solid sweep" typically refers to a team winning all games in a series or competition against another team (for example, winning all three or four games in a playoff series). A "solid sweep" would imply the victories were decisive and well-executed.
Spat (angular unit)
A "spat" is a unit of angular measurement that is used primarily in fields such as astronomy and navigation. It is defined as \(\frac{1}{3600}\) of a degree, which means that there are 3600 spats in one degree.
Spectrahedron
A **spectrahedron** is a mathematical concept that arises in the context of convex geometry and optimization. More specifically, it refers to a type of convex set that can be defined using eigenvalues of certain matrices. The term is often associated with the study of semidefinite programming and various applications in optimization, control theory, and quantum physics.
Spherical circle
A spherical circle is a geometric concept in spherical geometry, which deals with figures on the surface of a sphere rather than within a plane. In this context, a spherical circle can be defined as the intersection of a sphere with a plane that passes through the center of the sphere.
Spherical code
A spherical code is a mathematical concept that deals with arrangements of points on the surface of a sphere. In particular, spherical codes are used to study the optimal placement of points in order to maximize the minimum distance between them, given certain constraints. The study of spherical codes has various applications in areas such as telecommunications, error correction, and sensor networks, among others.
Spherical sector
A spherical sector is a three-dimensional geometric shape defined by a portion of a sphere. It is essentially the space enclosed by two radii of the sphere and a spherical cap. To understand it more intuitively, you can think of a spherical sector as being similar to a slice of a sphere, similar to how a wedge-shaped slice of an orange would be a sector of the orange.