Mappings - Similarity transformations

In summary, we discussed similitude mappings and their properties, including the fact that they can be composed of scaling and rotation or scaling and glide reflection. We also looked at the statement that a similitude mapping with exactly one fixed point is a scaling, and determined that this statement is incorrect. We also discussed the composition of rotations and the conditions for it to result in another rotation, and explored the idea of fixed points and lines for different types of mappings. We concluded that similitude mappings only have reflections as fixed points, and cannot have other types of fixed points such as lines.
  • #1
mathmari
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Hey! :eek:

I want to check whether the following statements are correct. At each statement I wrote my idea/question:

  1. A similitude mapping with exactly one fixed point is a scaling.

    A similitude mapping is a scaling, or a composition of scaling and rotation or a composition of scaling and glide reflection, right? The composition of scaling and rotation has also a fixed point (which is the same fixed point for the rotation and the scaling). So, the statement is wrong.
  2. Similitude mappings $\neq id$ with more than one fixed point are reflections.

    For this one I don't have an idea.
  3. The composition of two rotations with rotation angle $a$ and $b$ is a rotation iff $a+b=k\cdot 2\pi, k\in \mathbb{Z}$.

    I have shown that $R(a)R(b)=R(a+b)$. When we have that $a+b=k\cdot 2\pi$ do we not get again at the same point as at the beginning. So, is it then the identity?
  4. For each line $g$ and each similitude mapping $\kappa$ it holds that $\kappa\circ\sigma\circ\kappa^{-1}=\sigma_{\kappa(g)}$.

    Unfortunately, also for this one I don't have an idea.
 
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  • #2
mathmari said:
Hey! :eek:

I want to check whether the following statements are correct. At each statement I wrote my idea/question:

1. A similitude mapping with exactly one fixed point is a scaling.

A similitude mapping is a scaling, or a composition of scaling and rotation or a composition of scaling and glide reflection, right? The composition of scaling and rotation has also a fixed point (which is the same fixed point for the rotation and the scaling). So, the statement is wrong.

What's a similitude mapping?
Googling for it, I can't really find anything.
Is it perchance a congruence transformation or isometry?
Oh wait! Is it an affinity transformation or similarity transformation? (Wondering)

Anyway, indeed, a rotation has 1 fixed point, so the statement is wrong.

mathmari said:
2. Similitude mappings $\neq id$ with more than one fixed point are reflections.

For this one I don't have an idea.

What are the fixed points of each of the different types of mappings? (Wondering)

mathmari said:
3. The composition of two rotations with rotation angle $a$ and $b$ is a rotation iff $a+b=k\cdot 2\pi, k\in \mathbb{Z}$.

I have shown that $R(a)R(b)=R(a+b)$. When we have that $a+b=k\cdot 2\pi$ do we not get again at the same point as at the beginning. So, is it then the identity?

Yep.
Therefore it is not a rotation.

mathmari said:
4. For each line $g$ and each similitude mapping $\kappa$ it holds that $\kappa\circ\sigma\circ\kappa^{-1}=\sigma_{\kappa(g)}$.

Unfortunately, also for this one I don't have an idea.

Let's first establish what a similitude mapping is supposed to represent. (Thinking)
 
  • #3
I like Serena said:
What's a similitude mapping?
Googling for it, I can't really find anything.
Is it perchance a congruence transformation or isometry?
Oh wait! Is it an affinity transformation or similarity transformation? (Wondering)

Ah it is similarity transformation.
I like Serena said:
What are the fixed points of each of the different types of mappings? (Wondering)

If there are more fixed points, does it mean that a whole line is fixed? (Wondering)
I like Serena said:
Therefore it is not a rotation.

Can we not consider it as a rotation with angle $0^{\circ}$ ? (Wondering)
I like Serena said:
Let's first establish what a similitude mapping is supposed to represent. (Thinking)

By the similarity mapping of a point do we get the same point? (Wondering)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #4
mathmari said:
If there are more fixed points, does it mean that a whole line is fixed?

I think so yes... unless the whole plane is fixed.

mathmari said:
Can we not consider it as a rotation with angle $0^{\circ}$ ?

Sure we can. What do your notes say? (Wondering)

Note that if we do that, then we should also consider for instance a reflection a glide reflection (with a translation of 0).
And identity would be ambiguous, since it could be either a rotation (with angle 0), or a translation (with vector 0), or just identity.
So I'm used to making the distinction, and treating identity as distinct from a rotation, and also distinct from a translation.

mathmari said:
By the similitude mapping of a point do we get the same point? (Wondering)

Not generally.

As for the statement at hand, suppose G is a point on the line g.
Then $\sigma(G)=G$, isn't it?
It would be a fixed point after all.

Would $\kappa(G)$ be a fixed point of $\kappa\circ\sigma\circ\kappa^{-1}$? (Wondering)
Oh, and if you don't mind, I'll rename the thread to 'Mappings - Similarity transformations'. (Malthe)
 
  • #5
I like Serena said:
As for the statement at hand, suppose G is a point on the line g.
Then $\sigma(G)=G$, isn't it?
It would be a fixed point after all.

Would $\kappa(G)$ be a fixed point of $\kappa\circ\sigma\circ\kappa^{-1}$? (Wondering)

Yes, $\kappa(G)$ be a fixed point of $\kappa\circ\sigma\circ\kappa^{-1}$, since:
$$\kappa\circ\sigma\circ\kappa^{-1}(\kappa(G))=\kappa\circ\sigma\circ(\kappa^{-1}\kappa(G))=\kappa\circ\sigma (G)=\kappa (G)$$
I like Serena said:
Oh, and if you don't mind, I'll rename the thread to 'Mappings - Similarity transformations'. (Malthe)

Sure! (Yes)
 
  • #6
$\sigma_{\kappa(g)}$ is the reflection along $\kappa(g)$.

$\kappa(g)$ is the similar mapping the line $g$.

$\kappa\circ\sigma\circ\kappa^{-1}=\sigma_{\kappa(g)}$ means that every $\kappa (G)$ with $g\in G$ is a fixed point for $\kappa\circ\sigma\circ\kappa^{-1}$ since $\kappa (G)$ is a fixed point for that reflection, right? (Wondering)
mathmari said:
2. Similitude mappings $\neq id$ with more than one fixed point are reflections.

So, if we have more than on fixed point, a whole line or plane is fixed.

But why can we have only reflections? (Wondering)
 
  • #7
mathmari said:
Yes, $\kappa(G)$ be a fixed point of $\kappa\circ\sigma\circ\kappa^{-1}$, since:
$$\kappa\circ\sigma\circ\kappa^{-1}(\kappa(G))=\kappa\circ\sigma\circ(\kappa^{-1}\kappa(G))=\kappa\circ\sigma (G)=\kappa (G)$$

mathmari said:
$\sigma_{\kappa(g)}$ is the reflection along $\kappa(g)$.

$\kappa(g)$ is the similar mapping the line $g$.

$\kappa\circ\sigma\circ\kappa^{-1}=\sigma_{\kappa(g)}$ means that every $\kappa (G)$ with $g\in G$ is a fixed point for $\kappa\circ\sigma\circ\kappa^{-1}$ since $\kappa (G)$ is a fixed point for that reflection, right?

Yep. And similarities have the property that they map a line to a line.
mathmari said:
So, if we have more than on fixed point, a whole line or plane is fixed.

But why can we have only reflections?

What else could it be?
Scalings, translations, rotations, and glide reflections all have 0 or 1 fixed point.
In theory there could a composition of them (including reflections) that also has a fixed line, but I don't think there is one. (Thinking)
 
  • #8
I like Serena said:
What else could it be?
Scalings, translations, rotations, and glide reflections all have 0 or 1 fixed point.
In theory there could a composition of them (including reflections) that also has a fixed line, but I don't think there is one. (Thinking)

Similarity transformations are the scalings, translations, rotations, glide reflections and rflections and their compositions, right? (Wondering)

What exactly is the difference between an affine transformation and a similarity transformation? (Wondering)
 
  • #9
mathmari said:
Similarity transformations are the scalings, translations, rotations, glide reflections and reflections and their compositions, right? (Wondering)

Yes. And I propose to include identity as a separate transformation (all points are fixed, which is not the case for 'real' rotations and translations).

mathmari said:
What exactly is the difference between an affine transformation and a similarity transformation? (Wondering)

A similarity transformation preserves the shape of objects, but they can be rotated, translated, reflected, or scaled.
All similarity transformations are affine transformations.
However, affine transformations include also for instance shear transformations, that do change the shape of the object.

Mathematically, the similarity transformations are exactly those transformations that can be written as $\mathbf x \mapsto rA\mathbf x + \mathbf b$, where the scaling factor $r$ is any positive real number, $A$ is any orthogonal transformation, and $\mathbf b$ is any translation vector.
Affine transformations are $\mathbf x\mapsto M\mathbf x + \mathbf b$, where $M$ is any linear transformation, and $\mathbf b$ is any translation vector. (Nerd)
 
  • #10
I like Serena said:
Yes. And I propose to include identity as a separate transformation (all points are fixed, which is not the case for 'real' rotations and translations).
A similarity transformation preserves the shape of objects, but they can be rotated, translated, reflected, or scaled.
All similarity transformations are affine transformations.
However, affine transformations include also for instance shear transformations, that do change the shape of the object.

Mathematically, the similarity transformations are exactly those transformations that can be written as $\mathbf x \mapsto rA\mathbf x + \mathbf b$, where the scaling factor $r$ is any positive real number, $A$ is any orthogonal transformation, and $\mathbf b$ is any translation vector.
Affine transformations are $\mathbf x\mapsto M\mathbf x + \mathbf b$, where $M$ is any linear transformation, and $\mathbf b$ is any translation vector. (Nerd)
I understand! Thank you so much! (Yes)
 

Related to Mappings - Similarity transformations

1. What are similarity transformations?

Similarity transformations are a type of mapping in mathematics that preserves the shape and angles of a figure. It involves a combination of translation, rotation, reflection, and dilation.

2. How are similarity transformations different from other types of transformations?

Unlike other types of transformations, similarity transformations do not change the size or orientation of a figure. They only change its position and proportions.

3. What is the purpose of using similarity transformations?

Similarity transformations are useful in geometry and other branches of mathematics because they allow us to compare and analyze different figures that have the same shape and angles, even if they are different sizes.

4. Can similarity transformations be applied to any figure?

Yes, similarity transformations can be applied to any figure, whether it is 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional. However, the figures must have the same shape and angles for the transformation to preserve their similarities.

5. How can we determine if two figures are similar using similarity transformations?

If we can perform a sequence of similarity transformations (translation, rotation, reflection, and dilation) on one figure to make it coincide with the other, then the figures are similar. Additionally, we can also compare the ratios of corresponding sides and angles to determine similarity.

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