Is perspective a homothetic transformation?

In summary, the conversation discussed the relationship between homothetic transformations and perspective transforms. It was concluded that a perspective transform is a type of homothetic transformation, as it follows the same formula. The conversation also touched on the relationship between homothetic and affine transformations, and how perspective projections are not necessarily linear but rather affine linear. There was also a discussion on the concept of resolution and projective geometry in relation to perspectives.
  • #1
swampwiz
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I was reading about the homothetic transformation, and it seems that the perspective transform is a type of this.
 
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  • #3
It doesn't seem to say that a perspective transform is a type of homothetic, although it sure looks like it.
 
  • #4
swampwiz said:
It doesn't seem to say that a perspective transform is a type of homothetic, although it sure looks like it.
It does say it. They define a homothetic transformation as ##M \mapsto \lambda \cdot \stackrel{\longrightarrow}{SM}##. That's exactly what a perspective does to a point ##M## as seen from ##S##.
 
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  • #5
fresh_42 said:
It does say it. They define a homothetic transformation as ##M \mapsto \lambda \cdot \stackrel{\longrightarrow}{SM}##. That's exactly what a perspective does to a point ##M## as seen from ##S##.
That's what I thought.

Now, what about affine transformations? Is the set of all Homothetic transformations also affine transformations? or vice-versa? It seems that since lines are preserved in a homothetic transformation, it is also an affine transformation.
 
  • #6
On a side note, I have a question about a perspective projection in general. It seems that if I look at a line that is infinitely long, to see such at "infinity", I will need to look at it along the line in the exact same direction of the line, so there should never be a vanishing point, and essentially that a proper perspective projection is not linear. That said, if the differential of lines immediately in front of the camera being viewed is used, then there is a vanishing point, even though the real view would not vanish. This seems to be similar to the idea of using the paraxial approximation in geometrical optics, even though that breaks down for any system with any non-differential size. Is this accurate?
 
  • #7
swampwiz said:
That's what I thought.

Now, what about affine transformations? Is the set of all Homothetic transformations also affine transformations? or vice-versa? It seems that since lines are preserved in a homothetic transformation, it is also an affine transformation.
They are affine transformations. The difference to linear transformations is only whether ##S=0## or ##S\neq 0##.
 
  • #8
I'm afraid I haven't understood your last post. This could be due to the fact that I haven't expertise in optics. What came to my mind while reading:
swampwiz said:
I will need to look at it along the line in the exact same direction of the line, so there should never be a vanishing point, ...
In reality there is something like resolution. Although it might not exist theoretically, there is a real margin below which we have indistinguishability.
... and essentially that a proper perspective projection is not linear.
No, it's affine linear, i.e. the origin is the center of projection and not the origin of the coordinate system.

I got the impression, that a perspective in your view is one whose center is at infinity, the other way around so to say. In this case the center does indeed not exist as part of the screen. A concept which deals with those infinite points is projective geometry where the horizon has a coordinate representation.
 

FAQ: Is perspective a homothetic transformation?

What is perspective in mathematics?

Perspective in mathematics is a way of drawing or representing three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface, such as a piece of paper. It involves creating the illusion of depth and distance by using vanishing points and converging lines.

What is a homothetic transformation?

A homothetic transformation is a type of transformation in geometry where an object is scaled or enlarged by a constant factor in all directions. This means that all the distances within the object are multiplied by the same number, resulting in a similar but larger or smaller version of the original object.

How is perspective related to homothetic transformations?

Perspective can be thought of as a type of homothetic transformation, as it involves scaling an object in a way that maintains its proportions and creates the illusion of depth and distance. In perspective drawing, the size of an object decreases as it moves away from the viewer, similar to how a homothetic transformation would scale an object.

Can all perspective drawings be considered homothetic transformations?

No, not all perspective drawings can be considered homothetic transformations. While perspective involves scaling an object, it also involves other techniques such as foreshortening and vanishing points. Homothetic transformations, on the other hand, only involve scaling an object by a constant factor.

What are some real-life applications of homothetic transformations and perspective?

Homothetic transformations and perspective have many real-life applications, including in architecture, engineering, and art. In architecture and engineering, they are used to create accurate and realistic representations of buildings and structures. In art, they are used to create the illusion of depth and distance, as well as to create aesthetically pleasing compositions.

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