43D Math for Games

A game is a mathematical model of a virtual world simulated in real time on a computer of some kind. Therefore, mathematics pervades everything we do in the game industry. Game programmers make use of virtually all branches of mathematics, from trigonometry to algebra to statistics to calculus. However, by far the most prevalent kind of mathematics you’ll be doing as a game programmer is 3D vector and matrix math (i.e., 3D linear algebra).

Even this one branch of mathematics is very broad and very deep, so we cannot hope to cover it in any great depth in a single chapter. Instead, I will attempt to provide an overview of the mathematical tools needed by a typical game programmer. Along the way, I’ll offer some tips and tricks, ...

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