Mathematics for Game Developers explores the branches of mathematics from the game developer's perspective, rejecting the abstract, theoretical approach in favor of demonstrating real, usable applications for each concept covered. Use of this book is not confined to users of a certain operating system or enthusiasts of particular game genres; the topics covered are universally applicable.
[...]... Sometimes it seemed like this day—the day that Mathematics for Game Developers would be sent to press—would never come Of the Game Development series, this title has been one the most challenging books to develop Not only was it difficult to decide just what the book should include, but finding the perfect author—one who was knowledgeable in both mathematics and game development and at the same time a fantastic... perfect author: Christopher Tremblay This book exceeds my expectations and I hope it exceeds yours Within Mathematics for Game Developers, not only will you find the entire landscape of relevant, practical mathematics laid out in such a way that you can understand, you will also see how it is connected to game programming The book begins by covering vectors, matrices, and complex number theory, and then... Letter From the Series Editor In conclusion, there are a lot of game development math books out there, but none that are as accessible as this one, that give you as much practical information for real game development Sincerely, André LaMothe Series Editor Course PTR Game Development Series Introduction M ath is a fundamental part of any game developer’s programming arsenal Without a strong understanding... you can easily waste days solving a problem in a game that, in reality, is as simple as 1-2-3 If you’re considering programming a game that is even slightly complicated, you must realize that it is crucial to first master some basic concepts such as matrices and vectors This book is designed specifically for the game developer, not the mathematician Most game programmers interested in learning about the... found throughout the book will stand for real numbers Sometimes it will stand for complex numbers or even the more general cases, but overall, I won’t bother covering the more general cases Beyond teaching you the mathematical concepts you need as a game programmer, this book aims to teach you to think for yourself, outside the box In many cases, the bestknown method for solving a problem won’t be the... variable you have isolated for Clearly, you may lose some information by doing this, but it will convert the equation to a function as required For example, take the following equation of a plane in 3D: For this set of equations, you cannot isolate everything to one single variable—which means that either you cannot convert this equation to a function, or this equation will lose some information that cannot... in games In Part II, “Physics Simulations,” you will explore the grand problem of motion and discover how you can make your world come alive using physics, collision detection, and a witty mind The third part, “Playing with Numbers,” looks at mathematics from a number-crunching point of view It tackles various Introduction problems such as those seen in statistics for AI purposes, approximation for. .. Likewise, mathematics for game programming, which is primarily an algebraic field, is also based on a set of definitions and rules I assume that you already have reasonable knowledge of these algebraic rules; this chapter is meant to both refresh your algebraic knowledge and, perhaps, extend it a bit That said, I hope that in addition to teaching you how to apply this set of definitions and rules to game. .. important thing to consider when writing a game is the coordinate system you choose to use As you’ll discover, every coordinate system has its own purpose; that is, each one is geared toward performing certain tasks (this will become evident as I enumerate a few of them) So, although an infinite number of coordinate systems exists, a few stand out for writing games: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Cartesian coordinates... book falls somewhere in the middle It clarifies how mathematical ideas fit together and apply to game programming, and includes only those proofs that help elucidate useful math concepts Unlike most math books—including many math books for game programmers—this book is concerned less with why it works (for example, proving that one plus one equals two) as with how it works and what that implies One . it seemed like this day—the day that Mathematics for Game Developers would be sent to press—would never come. Of the Game Development series, this title. it exceeds yours. Within Mathematics for Game Developers, not only will you find the entire landscape of relevant, practical mathematics laid out in such