🚀 go-pugleaf

jmorris@math.macalstr.edu (Jesse Morris) wrote:
>schumaker (schumaker@tigger.jvnc.net) wrote:
>: >> points do not necessarily make a vector.  A vector is a point that *points*
>: >> somewhere
>: >But a point has a magnitude and direction. Point x,y,z has a magnitude 
>: >of sqrt(x^2+y^2+z^2) and a direction of ( x i y j z k)/magnitude where 
>: >i,j,k are the unit vectors. Remember when you define a point in space you 
>: >are referencing it to some reference point.  
>: wrong a point is just that a point.  the values given a point are completely 
>: arbitraray based on your origin I can aurgue that a point at 0,0,0 is the same 
>: as a point you call 1,2,3 your reference point does not give a point any 
>: magnitude.
>	In math, a vector is any ordered pair, triple, n-tuple.  Find any 
>linear algebra book if you don't believe me.  I believe that physics 
>often assumes these to be a direction & magnitude of the distance from 
>the origin (0,0,...,0) (Note that vectors in the mathematical sense are 
>NOT by any means limited to two or three dimensional space.) to the point 
>that the vector defines.  It then refers to these ordered pairs (0,v) of 
>points as vectors.  (This is very like what physics and other applied 
>mathematics does to many other aspects of more generalized math.)  

Why do you people force me to dig out my school books?  They give me nightmares
of having to do homework. . .

"Advanced Mathematical Concepts" (My Adv. Pre-Cal Book):
	VECTOR: A quantity, or directed distance, that has both magnitude and direction.

"Physics: Principles and Problems" (My Adv. Physics Book):
	VECTOR: Quantity having both magnitude (size) and direction.

"Webster's Encyclopedia of Dictionaries" (My Home Encyclopedia):
	VECTOR: any quantity requiring direction to be stated as well as magnitude in
order to define it properly; disease-carrying insect.
      [Since this isn't an entomology group I assume it is the first definition
that is relevent to this argument :)]

"The Elements and Structure of the Physical Sciences" (Home Reference, again):
	VECTOR: A directed quantity.

Now where the hell do you get "any ordered pair" from the above definitions, or
should I dig out my 8th grade linear algebra book :( don't ask why I still have
it ): .

Just dug it out anyway.  NOWHERE is there a definition or is "vector" even
listed.

Just did a little more research.  Guess what. . . "Vector" is not considered a
part of "linear Algebra", it is a part of Physics and Calculus.  So unless you
have an 8th grade education and that is where you stopped, your definition of
"vector" is "a quantity requiring both magnitude and direction to be defined".


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