This book is an introduction to the fundamental
concepts and tools needed for solving problems of a
geometric nature using a computer. It attempts to fill
the gap between standard geometry books, which are
primarily theoretical, and applied books on computer
graphics, computer vision, robotics, or machine
learning. This book covers the following topics: affine
geometry, projective geometry, Euclidean geometry,
convex sets, SVD and principal component analysis,
manifolds and Lie groups, quadratic optimization, basics
of differential geometry, and a glimpse of computational
geometry (Voronoi diagrams and Delaunay triangulations).
Some practical applications of the concepts presented in
this book include computer vision, more specifically
contour grouping, motion interpolation, and robot
kinematics. In this extensively updated second edition,
more material on convex sets, Farkas's lemma, quadratic
optimization and the Schur complement have been added.
The chapter on SVD has been greatly expanded and now
includes a presentation of PCA. The book is well
illustrated and has chapter summaries and a large number
of exercises throughout.It will be of interest to a wide
audience including computer scientists, mathematicians,
and engineers. Reviews of first edition: ''Gallier's
book will be a useful source for anyone interested in
applications of geometrical methods to solve problems
that arise in various branches of engineering. It may
help to develop the sophisticated concepts from the more
advanced parts of geometry into useful tools for
applications.'' (Mathematical Reviews, 2001) ''...it
will be useful as a reference book for postgraduates
wishing to find the connection between their current
problem and the underlying geometry.'' (The Australian
Mathematical Society, 2001) |
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