Geometric Algebra

The goal of Geometric Algebra Applications Vol. II: Robot Modeling and Control is to present a unified mathematical treatment of diverse problems in the general domain of robotics and associated fields using Clifford, or geometric algebra. By treating a wide spectrum of problems in a common language, this Volume II offers both new insights and new solutions that should be useful to scientists, and engineers working in different areas related with robotics.

The author defines “Geometric Algebra Computing” as the geometrically intuitive development of algorithms using geometric algebra with a focus on their efficient implementation, and the goal of this book is to lay the foundations for the widespread use of geometric algebra as a powerful, intuitive mathematical language for engineering applications in academia and industry.

The goal of Geometric Algebra Applications Vol. II: Robot Modeling and Control is to present a unified mathematical treatment of diverse problems in the general domain of robotics and associated fields using Clifford, or geometric algebra. By treating a wide spectrum of problems in a common language, this Volume II offers both new insights and new solutions that should be useful to scientists, and engineers working in different areas related with robotics.

The application of geometric algebra to the engineering sciences is a young, active subject of research. The promise of this field is that the mathematical structure of geometric algebra together with its descriptive power will result in intuitive and more robust algorithms.

Since its invention, geometric algebra has been applied to various branches of physics such as cosmology and electrodynamics, and is now being embraced by the computer graphics community where it is providing new ways of solving geometric problems. It took over two thousand years to discover this algebra, which uses a simple and consistent notation to describe vectors and their products.

Geometric algebra (GA), also known as Clifford algebra, is a powerful unifying framework for geometric computations that extends the classical techniques of linear algebra and vector calculus in a structural manner. Its benefits include cleaner computer-program solutions for known geometric computation tasks, and the ability to address increasingly more involved applications.

This classic text, written by one of the foremost mathematicians of the 20th century, is now available in a low-priced paperback edition. Exposition is centered on the foundations of affine geometry, the geometry of quadratic forms, and the structure of the general linear group. Context is broadened by the inclusion of projective and symplectic geometry and the structure of symplectic and orthogonal groups.