Maths - Points

We have already discussed how to specify a point in the coordinate pages.

Here the aim is to work with points in the same terms that we will do with the other geometric elements to be discussed here: lines, planes and volumes. With these other elements we will start with a simple version that goes through the origin and the later add the ability to displace it.

A point which goes through the origin is just the origin, it does not require any information to define its direction, if its associated with a value then its a scalar quantity.

To define a point other than the origin, we can displace it with a vector which is a quantity with magnetude and direction.

It may seem over pedantic to make a distinction between a point and a vector in this way, but the distinction is real and it will be useful later as we will want points and displacements to behave slightly differently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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