ScienceAugust 23, 2026

quaternion

kwuh-TUR-nee-un

Definition

A mathematical system used to represent rotation in three-dimensional space, often employed as an alternative to Euler angles to avoid computational issues.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin word 'quaternio', meaning a set of four, coined by William Rowan Hamilton in 1843 to describe these four-dimensional number systems.

In the news

The authors mention quaternions in the context of avoiding 'singularities' or mathematical errors that occur when using Euler angles to track the rotation of asteroids.

Astronomers develop a faster way to simulate the complicated motion of binary asteroids

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