Beginning Math and Physics for Game Programmers

Book Description
Whether you're a hobbyist or a budding game design pro, your objective is probably the same: To create the coolest games possible using today's increasingly sophisticated technology. To do that, however, you need to understand some basic math and physics concepts. Not to worry: You don't need to go to night school if you get this handy guide! Through clear, step-by-step instructions, author Wendy Stahler covers the trigonometry snippets, vector operations, and 1D/2D/3D motion you need to improve your level of game development. Each chapter includes exercises to make the learning stick, and Visualization Experience sections are sprinkled throughout that walk you through a demo of the chapter's content. By the end of the volume, you'll have a thorough understanding of all of the math and physics concepts, principles, and formulas you need to control and enhance your user's gaming experience.

From the Inside Flap
"The book is very well written; the author does an excellent job of explaining the concepts and walking the reader through the various terms and applications of math and physics for the 3-D world." Bill Galbreath Program Manager for Digital Media, Full Sail Real World Education "There are several other books covering game-specific math and physics on the shelves. Those books focus on intermediate to advanced issues that might be too complex for those learning the basics. This book focuses on topics that are foundational in the area of math and physics that the other books tend to assume the reader already understands." David Astle Executive Producer, GameDev.net "I could see myself using this book with my students when I'm doing introductory game design and programming. The content is well organized, lucidly presented, and written at a good level for students who lack the basic math and/or physics background." Harvey Duff Department Head[md]Computer Technology, Jasper Place High School, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada "New developers and students in math/physics will find the topics covered a good start. The topics are covered quite comprehensively to make the book easy to pick up and read. The exercises and examples are also helpful tools." Gianfranco Berardi Computer Science Student, DePaul University "This book is an excellent practical introduction to game math and physics. The author has an interesting visual approach to trigonometry and matrix arithmetic, which makes it an entertaining read. There’s a good mix of theoretical insight (described in an unusually useful visual style) and practical advice." Richard Jones Director, Merjis Ltd.

About the Author
Wendy Stahler was the first course director of the Game Design and Development Program at Full Sail Real World Education in Orlando, Florida. During her six years at Full Sail, she concentrated much of her time toward developing the math and physics curriculum. Wendy is also an adjunct professor at Rollins College in the IT department, and just recently took on her next challenge of IT training in the corporate world. Wendy graduated from Rollins College earning an Honors B.A. in Mathematics with a concentration in Computer Science and an MA in Corporate Communication and Technology, graduating with honors.


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If you want to break into the game industry and are familiar with algebra, geometry, and trigonometry but your knowledge is a bit rusty, this book is for you. Author Wendy Stahler shows you the fundamental math and physics concepts, principles, and formulas that are crucial to developing successful games. topics such as trigonometry snippets, vector and matrix operations, transformations, momentum and collisions, and ID/2D/3D motion are taught in a step-by-step format in order to improve your level of game development.


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