Part I

Mathematical Prerequisites

Video games attempt to simulate a virtual world; however, computers, by their very nature, crunch numbers. Thus the problem of how to convey a world to a computer arises. The answer is to describe our worlds, and the interactions therein, completely mathematically. Consequently, mathematics plays a fundamental role in video game development.

In this prerequisites part, we introduce the mathematical tools that will be used throughout this book. The emphasis is on vectors, coordinate systems, matrices, and transformations, as these tools are used in just about every sample program of this book. In addition to the mathematical explanations, a survey and demonstration of the relevant classes and functions from the D3DX math library are provided.

Note that the topics covered here are only those essential to understanding the rest of this book; it is by no means a comprehensive treatment of video game mathematics, as entire books are devoted to this topic. For readers desiring a more complete reference to video game mathematics, we recommend [Verth04] and [Lengyel02].

Chapter 1, “Vector Algebra”

Vectors are, perhaps, the most fundamental mathematical objects used in computer games. We use vectors to represent positions, displacements, directions, velocities, and forces, for example. In this chapter, we study vectors and the operations used to manipulate them.

Chapter 2, “Matrix Algebra”

Matrices provide an efficient and compact way of representing transformations. In this chapter, we become familiar with matrices and the operations defined on them.

Chapter 3, “Transformations”

This chapter examines three fundamental geometric transformations: scaling, rotation, and translation. We use these transformations to manipulate 3D objects in space. In addition, we explain change of coordinate transformations, which are used to transform coordinates representing geometry from one coordinate system into another.