Atypical way to find angle between vectors
$begingroup$
At my work I have come across code with the following way of calculating the angle between two vectors.
$theta = 2 sin^{-1}(|hat{A}-hat{B} | frac{1}{2})$
I've spent some time but I can't think of how this was derived using typical methodologies (law of sines, law of cosines, dot product, cross product), it is pretty different. So my questions is, how could this have been derived?
linear-algebra trigonometry vectors
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
At my work I have come across code with the following way of calculating the angle between two vectors.
$theta = 2 sin^{-1}(|hat{A}-hat{B} | frac{1}{2})$
I've spent some time but I can't think of how this was derived using typical methodologies (law of sines, law of cosines, dot product, cross product), it is pretty different. So my questions is, how could this have been derived?
linear-algebra trigonometry vectors
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
I would write $2 sin^{-1}(frac12 | hat{A} - hat{B} |).$ The way you wrote it, it almost looks like you wanted to write $2 sin^{-1}(| hat{A} - hat{B} |^{1/2})$ but made a mistake in the typesetting.
$endgroup$
– David K
40 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
At my work I have come across code with the following way of calculating the angle between two vectors.
$theta = 2 sin^{-1}(|hat{A}-hat{B} | frac{1}{2})$
I've spent some time but I can't think of how this was derived using typical methodologies (law of sines, law of cosines, dot product, cross product), it is pretty different. So my questions is, how could this have been derived?
linear-algebra trigonometry vectors
$endgroup$
At my work I have come across code with the following way of calculating the angle between two vectors.
$theta = 2 sin^{-1}(|hat{A}-hat{B} | frac{1}{2})$
I've spent some time but I can't think of how this was derived using typical methodologies (law of sines, law of cosines, dot product, cross product), it is pretty different. So my questions is, how could this have been derived?
linear-algebra trigonometry vectors
linear-algebra trigonometry vectors
edited 5 hours ago
Martin Argerami
125k1179178
125k1179178
asked 5 hours ago
WolcottRWolcottR
202
202
$begingroup$
I would write $2 sin^{-1}(frac12 | hat{A} - hat{B} |).$ The way you wrote it, it almost looks like you wanted to write $2 sin^{-1}(| hat{A} - hat{B} |^{1/2})$ but made a mistake in the typesetting.
$endgroup$
– David K
40 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I would write $2 sin^{-1}(frac12 | hat{A} - hat{B} |).$ The way you wrote it, it almost looks like you wanted to write $2 sin^{-1}(| hat{A} - hat{B} |^{1/2})$ but made a mistake in the typesetting.
$endgroup$
– David K
40 mins ago
$begingroup$
I would write $2 sin^{-1}(frac12 | hat{A} - hat{B} |).$ The way you wrote it, it almost looks like you wanted to write $2 sin^{-1}(| hat{A} - hat{B} |^{1/2})$ but made a mistake in the typesetting.
$endgroup$
– David K
40 mins ago
$begingroup$
I would write $2 sin^{-1}(frac12 | hat{A} - hat{B} |).$ The way you wrote it, it almost looks like you wanted to write $2 sin^{-1}(| hat{A} - hat{B} |^{1/2})$ but made a mistake in the typesetting.
$endgroup$
– David K
40 mins ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
This works when $A$ and $B$ are unit vectors.
You have
$$
|A-B|^2=(A-B)cdot(A-B)=|A|^2+|B|^2-2,Acdot B=2-2costheta=4sin^2tfractheta2.
$$
Solving,
$$
theta=2arcsintfrac{|A-B|}2.
$$
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
A general comment: note the hats on the vectors, which often indicates normalization.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Good to know! I haven't seen that in the last 30 years of doing math.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
It's fairly common in physics, I think. Some people denote the standard unit vectors in $mathbb{R}^{3}$ with $i,j,k,$ and some of those people put hats on them, to emphasize that they are unit vectors.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
I have been using the hats on $i,j,k$ for many years, but I never saw the notation being used for other vectors.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thank you! I was thinking there was going to be a square/root step in there somewhere
$endgroup$
– WolcottR
5 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
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1 Answer
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active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
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active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
This works when $A$ and $B$ are unit vectors.
You have
$$
|A-B|^2=(A-B)cdot(A-B)=|A|^2+|B|^2-2,Acdot B=2-2costheta=4sin^2tfractheta2.
$$
Solving,
$$
theta=2arcsintfrac{|A-B|}2.
$$
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
A general comment: note the hats on the vectors, which often indicates normalization.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Good to know! I haven't seen that in the last 30 years of doing math.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
It's fairly common in physics, I think. Some people denote the standard unit vectors in $mathbb{R}^{3}$ with $i,j,k,$ and some of those people put hats on them, to emphasize that they are unit vectors.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
I have been using the hats on $i,j,k$ for many years, but I never saw the notation being used for other vectors.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thank you! I was thinking there was going to be a square/root step in there somewhere
$endgroup$
– WolcottR
5 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
$begingroup$
This works when $A$ and $B$ are unit vectors.
You have
$$
|A-B|^2=(A-B)cdot(A-B)=|A|^2+|B|^2-2,Acdot B=2-2costheta=4sin^2tfractheta2.
$$
Solving,
$$
theta=2arcsintfrac{|A-B|}2.
$$
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
A general comment: note the hats on the vectors, which often indicates normalization.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Good to know! I haven't seen that in the last 30 years of doing math.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
It's fairly common in physics, I think. Some people denote the standard unit vectors in $mathbb{R}^{3}$ with $i,j,k,$ and some of those people put hats on them, to emphasize that they are unit vectors.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
I have been using the hats on $i,j,k$ for many years, but I never saw the notation being used for other vectors.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thank you! I was thinking there was going to be a square/root step in there somewhere
$endgroup$
– WolcottR
5 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
$begingroup$
This works when $A$ and $B$ are unit vectors.
You have
$$
|A-B|^2=(A-B)cdot(A-B)=|A|^2+|B|^2-2,Acdot B=2-2costheta=4sin^2tfractheta2.
$$
Solving,
$$
theta=2arcsintfrac{|A-B|}2.
$$
$endgroup$
This works when $A$ and $B$ are unit vectors.
You have
$$
|A-B|^2=(A-B)cdot(A-B)=|A|^2+|B|^2-2,Acdot B=2-2costheta=4sin^2tfractheta2.
$$
Solving,
$$
theta=2arcsintfrac{|A-B|}2.
$$
answered 5 hours ago
Martin ArgeramiMartin Argerami
125k1179178
125k1179178
$begingroup$
A general comment: note the hats on the vectors, which often indicates normalization.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Good to know! I haven't seen that in the last 30 years of doing math.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
It's fairly common in physics, I think. Some people denote the standard unit vectors in $mathbb{R}^{3}$ with $i,j,k,$ and some of those people put hats on them, to emphasize that they are unit vectors.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
I have been using the hats on $i,j,k$ for many years, but I never saw the notation being used for other vectors.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thank you! I was thinking there was going to be a square/root step in there somewhere
$endgroup$
– WolcottR
5 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
$begingroup$
A general comment: note the hats on the vectors, which often indicates normalization.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Good to know! I haven't seen that in the last 30 years of doing math.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
It's fairly common in physics, I think. Some people denote the standard unit vectors in $mathbb{R}^{3}$ with $i,j,k,$ and some of those people put hats on them, to emphasize that they are unit vectors.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
I have been using the hats on $i,j,k$ for many years, but I never saw the notation being used for other vectors.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thank you! I was thinking there was going to be a square/root step in there somewhere
$endgroup$
– WolcottR
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
A general comment: note the hats on the vectors, which often indicates normalization.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
A general comment: note the hats on the vectors, which often indicates normalization.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Good to know! I haven't seen that in the last 30 years of doing math.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Good to know! I haven't seen that in the last 30 years of doing math.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
It's fairly common in physics, I think. Some people denote the standard unit vectors in $mathbb{R}^{3}$ with $i,j,k,$ and some of those people put hats on them, to emphasize that they are unit vectors.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
It's fairly common in physics, I think. Some people denote the standard unit vectors in $mathbb{R}^{3}$ with $i,j,k,$ and some of those people put hats on them, to emphasize that they are unit vectors.
$endgroup$
– Will R
5 hours ago
2
2
$begingroup$
I have been using the hats on $i,j,k$ for many years, but I never saw the notation being used for other vectors.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
I have been using the hats on $i,j,k$ for many years, but I never saw the notation being used for other vectors.
$endgroup$
– Martin Argerami
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thank you! I was thinking there was going to be a square/root step in there somewhere
$endgroup$
– WolcottR
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thank you! I was thinking there was going to be a square/root step in there somewhere
$endgroup$
– WolcottR
5 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
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$begingroup$
I would write $2 sin^{-1}(frac12 | hat{A} - hat{B} |).$ The way you wrote it, it almost looks like you wanted to write $2 sin^{-1}(| hat{A} - hat{B} |^{1/2})$ but made a mistake in the typesetting.
$endgroup$
– David K
40 mins ago