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Vivek Kalita

1 Quaternion algebra

1.1 Definitions and fundamentals

Definition 1. A quaternion q is a hypercomplex number of the form:

q = a + bi + cj + dk

where i, j, and k are imaginary units.

1.1.1 Quaternion addition and multiplication

1. Quaternion Addition
If q1 = a1 + b1 i + c1 j + d1 k and q2 = a2 + b2 i + c2 j + d2 k, then:

q1 + q2 = (a1 + a2 ) + (b1 + b2 )i + (c1 + c2 )j + (d1 + d2 )k

2. Fundamental rules of multiplication

i ⊗ i = j ⊗ j = k ⊗ k = −1

i ⊗ j = k, j ⊗ k = i, k⊗i=j

j ⊗ i = −k, k ⊗ j = −i, i ⊗ k = −j

3. Quaternion Multiplication
Let A = a0 + a and B = b0 + b, then,

A ⊗ B = (a0 b0 − a · b) + (a0 b + b0 a + a × b)

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1.1.2 Conjugate of a quaternion
Definition 2 (Conjugate of a quaternion). Given a quaternion q = a0 + a, where a0 is the
scalar part and a is the vector part, the conjugate of q, denoted by q ∗ , is:

q ∗ = a0 − a

Some basic properties:

(q ∗ )∗ = q
(q1 ⊗ q2 )∗ = q2∗ ⊗ q1∗
q ⊗ q ∗ = (a20 + ∥a∥2 )1

1.1.3 Norm of a Quaternion

Definition 3 (Norm of a Quaternion). The norm (or magnitude) of a quaternion q = a0 +a
is given by:
q
∥q∥ = a20 + ∥a∥2

A basic property

∥q1 ⊗ q2 ∥ = ∥q1 ∥2 ∥q2 ∥2

1.1.4 Inverse of a Quaternion

Definition 4 (Inverse of a quaternion). The inverse of a quaternion q = a0 + a is given
by:
q∗
q −1 =
∥q∥2
q −1 ⊗ q = 1

1.2 Quaternion Rotation Operator

Definition 5 (Quaternion Rotation Operator). Let v ∈ R3 , be a pure quaternion, and

q be a unit quaternion. The quaternion rotation operator Lq (v) is defined as:

Lq (v) = q ⊗ v ⊗ q ∗

Given a quaternion q = w + u, where w is the scalar part and u is the vector part of
the quaternion, the quaternion rotation operator Lq (v) for a vector v is given by:

Lq (v) = (w2 − u · u)v + 2(u · v)u + 2w(u × v)

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Theorem 1.1. The operator Lq (v) doesn’t change the length of the vector v
Theorem 1.2. If v is along u (the vector part of q) then, v is unchanged by the transfor-
mation Lq
Remark: Lq (v) is a linear operator,

Lq (αv) = αLq (v)

Lq (v1 + v2 ) = Lq (v1 ) + Lq (v2 )

Theorem 1.3. Let q = cos 2θ + û sin 2θ be a unit quaternion, where û is a unit vector along
the axis of rotation and θ is the rotation angle. Then, the quaternion rotation operator Lq (v)
rotates a vector v by an angle θ about the axis defined by û by an angle θ.
Proof.
∵ Lq (v) = (w2 − u · u)v + 2(u · v)u + 2w(u × v)
= (w2 − u · u)v + 2w∥u∥(û × v)
Expanding and plugging the value for u, we get,

Lq (v) = cos θ∥v∥ + sin θ(û × v)

The Rotation matrix:

R = (w − ∥u∥)I3 + 2uuT + 2w[u]X

where,  
0 −uz uy
[u]x =  uz 0 −ux 
−uy ux 0
Or in other words,

1 − 2u2y − 2u2z
 
2ux uy − 2uz sin θ 2ux uz + 2uy sin θ
R(q) = 2ux uy + 2uz sin θ 1 − 2u2x − 2u2z 2uy uz − 2ux sin θ
2ux uz − 2uy sin θ 2uy uz + 2ux sin θ 1 − 2u2x − 2u2y

then,
Lq (v) = Ru

1.2.1 Quaternion Operator sequences

Theorem 1.4.
Lq (Lp (v)) = Lq⊗p (v)
Thus,
Lq ◦ Lp = Lq⊗p

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1.3 Exponential and Logarithm of a quaternion
Theorem 1.5. Any quaternion is expressible as:

q = ∥q∥(cos θ + û sin θ)

where,
w
θ=
∥u∥
Theorem 1.6 (Generaliztion of the Euler’s theorem).
θ θ
q = eûθ = cos + û sin
2 2
The exponential of a quaternion ûθ is given by its Taylor series:

(ûθ)2 (ûθ)3
eûθ = 1 + ûθ + + + ···
2! 3!
Theorem 1.7 (Logarithm).
 
u w
log(q) = ln ∥u∥ + arccos
∥u∥ ∥u∥

1.4 Differentiation of a Quaternion

Theorem 1.8.
d dp(t) dq(t)
(p(t) ⊗ q(t)) = ⊗ q(t) + p(t) ⊗
dt dt dt
Theorem 1.9. Let u(t) be the orientation quaternion and ω(t) be the angular velocity quater-
nion,

du(t) 1
= ω(t) ⊗ u(t)(t)
dt 2
ω
Proof. The rotation is about the instantaneous axis ω̂ = |ω| through the angle ∆θ = |ω|∆t.
It can be described by a quaternion:
   
∆θ ∆θ
∆q = cos + ω̂ sin
2 2
   
|ω|∆t |ω|∆t
= cos + ω̂ sin .
2 2
The rotation at t + ∆t is thus described by the quaternion sequence q(t), ∆q, implying

q(t + ∆t) = ∆q ⊗ q(t).

    
|ω|∆t |ω|∆t
q(t + ∆t) − q(t) = cos + ω̂ sin ⊗ q(t) − q(t)
2 2

4
    
|ω|∆t |ω|∆t
= cos q(t) + ω̂ sin ⊗ q(t) − q(t) (by (4)).
2 2
    
2 |ω|∆t |ω|∆t
= −2 sin q(t) + ω̂ sin ⊗ q(t).
4 2
The first term in the last equation above is of higher order than ∆t, thus its ratio to ∆t
goes to zero as the latter does. Hence

q(t + ∆t) − q(t)

q̇(t) = lim
∆t→0 ∆t
  
sin |ω|∆t
2
=  lim  ω̂ ⊗ q(t)
∆t→0 ∆t

|ω|∆t
!
1 2
= lim ω̂ ⊗ q(t)
2 ∆t→0 ∆t
1
= |ω|ω̂ ⊗ q(t)
2
1
= ω ⊗ q(t).
2

Remarks: If q is known, we can recover the angular velocity from (25) by right multi-
plying its both sides with q ∗ :
ω = 2q̇ ⊗ q ∗ .
The second derivative of the quaternion would be:
1
q̈ = (ω̇ ⊗ q + ω ⊗ q̇)
2
 
1 1 2
= ω̇ + ω ⊗ q
2 2