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Binormal Vector


B^^=T^^xN^^
(1)
=(r^'xr^(''))/(|r^'xr^('')|),
(2)

where the unit tangent vector T and unit "principal" normal vector N are defined by

T^^=(r^'(s))/(|r^'(s)|)
(3)
N^^=1/kappa(dT^^)/(ds)
(4)

Here, r is the radius vector, s is the arc length, tau is the torsion, and kappa is the curvature. The binormal vector satisfies the remarkable identity

 [B^.,B^..,B^...]=tau^5d/(ds)(kappa/tau).
(5)

In the field of computer graphics, two orthogonal vectors tangent to a surface are frequently referred to as tangent and binormal vectors. However, for a surface, the two vectors are more properly called tangent and bitangent vectors.


See also

Bitangent Vector, Frenet Formulas, Normal Vector, Tangent Vector

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References

Gray, A. Modern Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces with Mathematica, 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, p. 185, 1997.Kreyszig, E. "Binormal. Moving Trihedron of a Curve." §13 in Differential Geometry. New York: Dover, pp. 36-37, 1991.

Referenced on Wolfram|Alpha

Binormal Vector

Cite this as:

Weisstein, Eric W. "Binormal Vector." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. https://mathworld.wolfram.com/BinormalVector.html

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