Re: (OT) Re: OpenGL scenegraph

[Steve Baker <sjbaker1@airmail.net>]

Keith Lucas wrote:
> 
> >> :-) I found a short paper on quaternions, but it started off with saying
> >> that quaternions are an extension to complex numberss. Hmm, I've always
> >> disliked those phantasy-numbers, they seem to be totally useless.
> 
> >Hehe, so are real numbers.
> 
> I am reminded of the fact the chap who invented matricies wrote about them to a
> friend and said at the end something like "of course they are of no conceivable
> use."

The story for quaternions is better, the guy who invented them
(Hamilton) was
out walking when the solution to quaternion multiplication struck him. 
He was
so worried he'd forget the solution before he got back home, he
scratched it
on a stone bridge - talk about up-market grafitti!

Now there is a plaque on the bridge to celebrate the fact...it has to be
the
nerdiest plaque in history!

You can see a picture of the plaque here:

   http://penguin.infm.ulst.ac.uk/~jgc/hamilton/quatern.jpg


-- 
Steve Baker                  http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
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