POV-Ray : Newsgroups : povray.general : Math book recommendations? Server Time
3 Aug 2024 00:20:53 EDT (-0400)
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From: Calidore
Subject: Math book recommendations?
Date: 1 Jul 2004 22:05:51
Message: <59g9e0tgtlie37pa0pppl6jlsrh4tqglji@4ax.com>
Finally ready to start playing with POVRay, but even though math was
always my strong point in school, I have only a high-school education,
and that ended 20 years ago.  So, two questions:

1) Aside from the obvious basic geometry, what areas of math are most
useful for basic and advanced POVRay use?

2) What are the best easy-to-find books (the kind I could find at
Barnes & Noble et al) for brushing myself up on/teaching myself said
math?

Thanks!


Calidore


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From: Anthony D  Baye
Subject: Re: Math book recommendations?
Date: 2 Jul 2004 04:40:44
Message: <40E51F8F.B8B47821@sdsmt.edu>
Well I don't know about books, at least, not that you'll find outside

a college bookstore.  But I have a program that seems fairly decent that
I use to brush up on my math skills.  It's called Highscool math
advantage 2000.  From Encore Education.  The version I have is
cross-platform.  I think they update it every year and it covers
everything. Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Trig, Pre-Calc,
Calc, and Statistics.  It makes use of visual aides, short quizzes and
timed tests.(you set the time.)

    As for the Required math:  I must admit I don't do anything nearly as
complex as some around here, but I find that a firm grasp on basic math
(i.e. addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.) serve for most
things.  Occasionally I'll resort to some fairly simple algebra and a few
well documented trig functions I found on
http://www.hoboes.com/html/NetLife/POV/ ).
    Unless you're planning to get into programming complex macros, I
shouldn't think you'd need more than that, or at least, not much more.
Although I could be wrong.
    The thing I've found the most essential is Persistance.  There's a
reason the word is part of the name.

ADB

Calidore wrote:

> Finally ready to start playing with POVRay, but even though math was
> always my strong point in school, I have only a high-school education,
> and that ended 20 years ago.  So, two questions:
>
> 1) Aside from the obvious basic geometry, what areas of math are most
> useful for basic and advanced POVRay use?
>
> 2) What are the best easy-to-find books (the kind I could find at
> Barnes & Noble et al) for brushing myself up on/teaching myself said
> math?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Calidore


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From: Josh
Subject: Re: Math book recommendations?
Date: 2 Jul 2004 07:07:56
Message: <40e5420c$1@news.povray.org>
Wouldn't it be nice if someone had a 3D-Maths-PovRay orientated web site!


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From: HermanS
Subject: Re: Math book recommendations?
Date: 2 Jul 2004 07:26:47
Message: <MPG.1b4f64e1e921e6b998968f@news.povray.org>
Calidore wrote:..
> Finally ready to start playing with POVRay, but even though math was
> always my strong point in school, I have only a high-school education,
> and that ended 20 years ago.  So, two questions:
> 
> 1) Aside from the obvious basic geometry, what areas of math are most
> useful for basic and advanced POVRay use?
I think some 3D analytical geometry is very useful for using PovRay if 
you don't use a modeler. Knowing something about equations of a plane, 
sphere,... can be useful in defining objects.
Of course you can go further: equations of more complex surfaces, the 
use of splines etc...
> 
> 2) What are the best easy-to-find books (the kind I could find at
> Barnes & Noble et al) for brushing myself up on/teaching myself said
> math?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> 
> Calidore
> 

-- 
home page: http://cage.ugent.be/~hs


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From: Ross
Subject: Re: Math book recommendations?
Date: 2 Jul 2004 10:17:47
Message: <40e56e8b$1@news.povray.org>
"Calidore" <nos### [at] thanksanywaycom> wrote in message
news:59g9e0tgtlie37pa0pppl6jlsrh4tqglji@4ax.com...
> Finally ready to start playing with POVRay, but even though math was
> always my strong point in school, I have only a high-school education,
> and that ended 20 years ago.  So, two questions:
>
> 1) Aside from the obvious basic geometry, what areas of math are most
> useful for basic and advanced POVRay use?
>
> 2) What are the best easy-to-find books (the kind I could find at
> Barnes & Noble et al) for brushing myself up on/teaching myself said
> math?
>
> Thanks!
>
>
> Calidore

a million interesting things can be learned from wandering through
http://mathworld.wolfram.com

also, http://planetmath.org/ which has a "Books" section for freely
available electronic books


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From: Sascha Ledinsky
Subject: Re: Math book recommendations?
Date: 3 Jul 2004 10:06:37
Message: <40e6bd6d$1@news.povray.org>
> 1) Aside from the obvious basic geometry, what areas of math are most
> useful for basic and advanced POVRay use?

It depends, but I'd say linear algebra - it covers points, vectors, 
matrices and problems like finding line/triangle intersections, etc...

> 2) What are the best easy-to-find books (the kind I could find at
> Barnes & Noble et al) for brushing myself up on/teaching myself said
> math?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1568810741/ is a nice 
introduction.


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From: Tyler Eaves
Subject: Re: Math book recommendations?
Date: 3 Jul 2004 19:08:50
Message: <pan.2004.07.03.23.10.01.160391@gmail.com>
On Thu, 01 Jul 2004 21:05:30 -0500, Calidore wrote:

> Finally ready to start playing with POVRay, but even though math was
> always my strong point in school, I have only a high-school education,
> and that ended 20 years ago.  So, two questions:
> 
> 1) Aside from the obvious basic geometry, what areas of math are most
> useful for basic and advanced POVRay use?
> 
> 2) What are the best easy-to-find books (the kind I could find at
> Barnes & Noble et al) for brushing myself up on/teaching myself said
> math?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> 
> Calidore

Funny you should bring this up. I think I've probably learned more math
FROM using POV-Ray than anything else I've done :)


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From: Calidore
Subject: Re: Math book recommendations?
Date: 4 Jul 2004 12:20:41
Message: <i4bge01f04lu7gtefu9p7oe4boqal60vts@4ax.com>
On Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:17:45 -0400, "Ross" <rli### [at] everestkcnet>
wrote:

>"Calidore" <nos### [at] thanksanywaycom> wrote in message
>news:59g9e0tgtlie37pa0pppl6jlsrh4tqglji@4ax.com...
>> Finally ready to start playing with POVRay, but even though math was
>> always my strong point in school, I have only a high-school education,
>> and that ended 20 years ago.  So, two questions:
>>
>> 1) Aside from the obvious basic geometry, what areas of math are most
>> useful for basic and advanced POVRay use?
>>
>> 2) What are the best easy-to-find books (the kind I could find at
>> Barnes & Noble et al) for brushing myself up on/teaching myself said
>> math?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>>
>> Calidore
>
>a million interesting things can be learned from wandering through
>http://mathworld.wolfram.com
>
>also, http://planetmath.org/ which has a "Books" section for freely
>available electronic books
>
>

Wow.  Looks like most of that stuff is way past my level, but luckily
(?) my brain already exploded a few weeks ago when, having realized
I've heard a lot of talk about the end of the universe but nothing at
all about the beginning (before the big bang, as in, how'd that state
come about), I did some googling.  Ow.  The strong-skulled are
referred to http://www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/qanda.html

Still, I've bookmarked the pages for educational browsing.  Thanks!

Best,

Calidore


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From: Calidore
Subject: Re: Math book recommendations?
Date: 4 Jul 2004 12:22:42
Message: <7jbge0lp308fubbaeo60325unuvvgrmh2f@4ax.com>
On Fri, 02 Jul 2004 02:40:48 -0600, "Anthony D. Baye"
<ant### [at] sdsmtedu> wrote:

>    Well I don't know about books, at least, not that you'll find outside
>
>a college bookstore.  But I have a program that seems fairly decent that
>I use to brush up on my math skills.  It's called Highscool math
>advantage 2000.  From Encore Education.  The version I have is
>cross-platform.  I think they update it every year and it covers
>everything. Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Trig, Pre-Calc,
>Calc, and Statistics.  It makes use of visual aides, short quizzes and
>timed tests.(you set the time.)

Didn't even think about software, but I've heard of Math Advantage.
I'll check that out.

>
>    As for the Required math:  I must admit I don't do anything nearly as
>complex as some around here, but I find that a firm grasp on basic math
>(i.e. addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.) 

I can handle that.

>serve for most
>things.  Occasionally I'll resort to some fairly simple algebra and a few
>well documented trig functions I found on
>http://www.hoboes.com/html/NetLife/POV/ ).
>    Unless you're planning to get into programming complex macros, I
>shouldn't think you'd need more than that, or at least, not much more.
>Although I could be wrong.
>    The thing I've found the most essential is Persistance.  There's a
>reason the word is part of the name.

Thanks!


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From: Calidore
Subject: Re: Math book recommendations?
Date: 4 Jul 2004 12:23:26
Message: <ambge09cbru20t6oel42enmvjm911nrinf@4ax.com>
On Thu, 01 Jul 2004 21:05:30 -0500, Calidore <nos### [at] thanksanywaycom>
wrote:

>Finally ready to start playing with POVRay, but even though math was
>always my strong point in school, I have only a high-school education,
>and that ended 20 years ago.  So, two questions:
>
>1) Aside from the obvious basic geometry, what areas of math are most
>useful for basic and advanced POVRay use?
>
>2) What are the best easy-to-find books (the kind I could find at
>Barnes & Noble et al) for brushing myself up on/teaching myself said
>math?
>
>Thanks!
>
>
>Calidore


I appreciate the responses, folks.  Thank you all!

Best,

Calidore


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