3 ms·
I think the best way to understand quaternions is to spend about a month curled up with a good book or two on Grasmannian/Clifford algebras.
by thechao 6y ago
I think the best way to understand quaternions is to spend about a month curled up with a good book or two on Grasmannian/Clifford algebras.
- dvt 6y agoThis post is a bit highfalutin, but it has a good point. You understand quaternions by doing math with them (the same way you understand complex numbers, really). There's really nothing magical about them, and I'd really push back against the idea that a 3b1b video really made you "understand" them -- other than on a very cursory and shallow semi-intuitive basis.
- esperent 6y agoA cursory understanding is a good starting point, even if it's not 100% technically correct. This is especially true for people who don't consider themselves mathematicians but still have to deal with quaternions or similar entities. The biggest stumbling block to understanding math (for many people) is a lack of confidence combined with feelings of frustration. If a simple video can get you over that first step, you are on a good path to developing a deeper understanding.