Geometry for Programmers

2 Terminology and jargon

This chapter covers

• The similarities and differences between numbers, vectors, and points
• The informal terminology of triangles and functions
• Equations of lines and planes
• The function types you will often meet in practice
• The shortest possible introduction to matrix algebra

Every profession has its own language, a family of terms and concepts bound together by a web of relations. Applied geometry has its own language, too; it consists of rigid definitions from mathematics and more flexible jargon coined to simplify communications. For an outsider, however—even a mathematician or programmer—this combination of formal and intuitive naming creates a barrier.

This chapter gives you an introduction to the basic language ...