Lecture 15: Quaternions: Multiplication in the Space of Mass-PointsBe fruitful and multiply Genesis 1:281. Vector Spaces and Division AlgebrasThe space of mass-points is a 4-dimensional vector space: addition, subtraction, and scalar multiplication are all well defined operations on mass-points. But what about a more universal form of multiplication? Can we multiply together two points or more generally two mass-points?In lower dimensional vector spaces, we can indeed multiply any two elements in the space. Every 1-dimensional vector space is isomorphic (equivalent) to the real number line. We can multiply any two points along the number line by the standard rules for multiplication of real numbers. Every 2-dimensional vector space is isomorphic to the plane. If we identify each pair of rectangular coordinates € (a,b) in the plane with the complex number € a + bi, then we can multiply two vectors in the plane using the standard rules for multiplication of complex numbers.Vectors in 3-dimensions are endowed with two distinct products: dot product and cross product. The dot product of two vectors is a scalar; the cross product of two vectors is a vector. When we add or subtract two vectors, we get another vector. When we say that we want to multiply two vectors, we typically mean that we also want the result to be another vector. The dot product of two vectors is not a vector, so dot product is not the kind of multiplication that we seek. The cross product of two vectors is a vector; nevertheless cross product also has some undesirable properties. Multiplication is typically associative, commutative and distributes through addition. In addition, in order to solve simple equations, we would like to have an identity for multiplication as well as multiplicative inverses (division). Although cross product distributes through addition, the cross product is neither associative nor commutative. Moreover there is no multiplicative identity for cross product -- that is, there is no vector u such that for all vectors v, we have € u ×v = v × u = v -- since by definition € u ×v ⊥v. Hence there can be no multiplicative inverses for cross product. In fact, in 3-dimensions there is no entirely satisfactory notion of vector multiplication.A division algebra (an algebra where we can perform division) is a set S where we can add, subtract, multiply, and divide any two elements in S. (One exception: we cannot divide by zero, the identity for addition.) Addition and multiplication must satisfy the usual rules: addition is associative and commutative; multiplication is associative and distributes through addition. Notice that we shall not insist that multiplication is commutative, since the multiplication that we have in mind for mass-points is not commutative. There is an identity 0 for addition and an identity 1 for multiplication so that for any element s in S€ s+ 0 = 0 + s = ss⋅1= 1⋅ s = s.Finally, for each element s in S, there is an inverse for addition € (−s) and an inverse for multiplication € (s−1) so that € s+ (−s) = (−s) + s = 0s⋅ s−1= s−1⋅ s = 1 (s ≠ 0).Thus in a division algebra, we can subtract and divide, as well as add and multiply.There are only three finite dimensional vector spaces that are also division algebras -- that is, there are only three dimensions in which we can define addition, subtraction, multiplication and division -- dimensions 1,2,4. These vector spaces correspond to the line (real numbers), the plane (complex numbers), and the space of mass-points (quaternions). (There is also a non-associative multiplication in dimension 8, the Cayley numbers.) We are really unbelievably lucky that Computer Graphics is grounded in the 4-dimensional vector space of mass-points.In this lecture we shall define quaternion multiplication in the space of mass-points and investigate applications of quaternion multiplication to Computer Graphics. We will begin, however, with a simpler and better known example: complex multiplication for vectors in the plane.2. Complex NumbersAddition, subtraction, and scalar multiplication are coordinate free operations on vectors in the plane. Rectangular coordinates may be introduced in practice to perform these computations, but in principle there is no need for preferred directions -- for coordinate axes -- to define addition, subtraction, or scalar multiplication for vectors in the plane.Complex multiplication is different. For complex multiplication we must choose a preferred direction: the direction of the identity vector for multiplication. We denote this identity vector by 1 and we associate this vector with the x-axis. The unit vector perpendicular to the identity vector we denote by i and we associate this vector with the y-axis. Relative to this coordinate system for every vector v in the plane there are constants € a,b such that€ v = a1+ bi.Typically we drop the symbol 1, and we write simply€ v = a+ bi. (2.1)In the complex number system, i denotes € −1, so€ i2= −1. (2.2)Since 1 is the identity for multiplication, we have the rules€ 1⋅1=1, € i ⋅1 = 1⋅ i = i,€ i ⋅ i = −1. (2.3)Therefore if we want complex multiplication to distribute through addition, then we must define€ (a + b i)(c + d i) = a(c + d i) + bi(c + d i) = (ac − bd) + (ad + bc)i. (2.4)2Using Equation (2.4), it is easy to verify that complex multiplication is associative, commutative, and distributes through addition.Every non-zero complex number has a multiplicative inverse. Let € v = a+ bi. The complex conjugate of v, denoted by € v∗, is defined by€ v∗= a− bi.By equation (2.4)€ v ⋅ v∗= a2+ b2= | v |2.Therefore€ v−1=v∗| v |2.Equation (2.4) encapsulates the algebra of complex multiplication. But what is the geometry underlying complex multiplication?Consider first multiplication with i. If € v = a+ bi, then€ i ⋅ v = i(a+ bi) = −b + ai.Thus if € v = (a,b), then € i ⋅ v = (−b,a); hence,€ i ⋅ v = v⊥.Therefore multiplication by i is equivalent to rotation by € 90o. Also,€ (−1) ⋅ v = −(a + bi) = −a − bi = −v,so multiplication by € −1 is equivalent