Skip to main content

Section 6.4 Examples in \(\RR^3\)

Subsection 6.4.1 Examples in \(\RR^3\)

I would also like to talk about transformations of \(\RR^3\text{,}\) though it is not as easy to give a complete account of the basic types. However, all of the types listed for \(\RR^2\) generalize.
  • Rotations in \(\RR^3\) are no longer about the origin. Instead, I have to choose an axis. Any line through the origin will do for an axis of rotation. Any rotation in \(\RR^3\) is determined by an axis of rotation and an angle of rotation about that axis.
  • Reflections are also altered: instead of reflecting over a line, I have to reflect over a plane through the origin. Any plane through the origin determines a reflection.
  • Skews are similarly defined: one or two directions are fixed, and the remaining directions are tilted.
  • Dilations are also similar, though there are three axis directions in which to stretch or compress.
  • Like \(\RR^2\text{,}\) I can project onto the origin, sending everything to zero, or onto a line, sending every point to the closest point on a line. Examples include projection onto the axes. However, I can also project onto planes. Sending \(\begin{pmatrix} a \\ b \\ c \end{pmatrix}\) to \(\begin{pmatrix} a \\ b \\ 0 \end{pmatrix}\text{,}\) for example, removes the \(z\) coordinate; this is projection onto the \(xy\) plane.
In addition, other types of transformations exist. One example is the ‘reflection through the origin’: this transformation multiplies all vectors by \((-1)\text{,}\) sending them to the opposite point on the other side of the origin. In \(\RR^2\text{,}\) this turned out to be the same as the rotation by half a turn. However, in \(\RR^3\text{,}\) this is neither a rotation nor a reflection.