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| vsgdp |
 Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2003 11:41 pm |
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My text book places some restrictions on spherical coords:
0 <= theta < 2*PI
0 <= phi <= PI
I don't see why these are necessary. If theta goes past 2*PI for example,
we simply wrap back around. |
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| William Elliot |
| Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 7:36 am |
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From: vsgdp <nospam@nospam.com>
Newsgroups: sci.math
Subject: spherical coords
Quote: My text book places some restrictions on spherical coords:
0 <= theta < 2*PI
0 <= phi <= PI
I don't see why these are necessary. If theta goes
past 2*PI for example, we simply wrap back around.
The north and south poles already have every longitude and the center of
the Earth every latitude and longitude. Why exponentally increase the
ambiguity by having every point (except along Earth axis) have every day
of every year?
Riddle of the day. If you stay at a pole for 24 hours,
when do you cross the international date line?
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| Lynn Kurtz |
| Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 1:23 pm |
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On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 20:41:58 -0800, "vsgdp" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:
Quote: My text book places some restrictions on spherical coords:
0 <= theta < 2*PI
0 <= phi <= PI
I don't see why these are necessary. If theta goes past 2*PI for example,
we simply wrap back around.
One reason it is preferable to keep phi in the above range is that in
the formula for the differential volume element, the sin(phi) factor
is positive in that range. If you allow phi to be greater than pi you
would need abs(sin(phi)) with its attendant complications in
evaluating any volume integrals.
--Lynn |
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