Euler-Rodrigues formula variations, quaternion conjugation and intrinsic connections

This paper reviews the Euler-Rodrigues formula in the axis-angle representation of rotations, studies its variations and derivations in different mathematical forms as vectors, quaternions and Lie groups and investigates their intrinsic connections. The Euler-Rodrigues formula in the Taylor series expansion is presented and its use as an exponential map of Lie algebras is discussed particularly with a non-normalized vector. The connection between Euler-Rodrigues parameters and the Euler-Rodrigues formula is then demonstrated through quaternion conjugation and the equivalence between quaternion conjugation and an adjoint action of the Lie group is subsequently presented. The paper provides a rich reference for the Euler-Rodrigues formula, the variations and their connections and for their use in rigid body kinematics, dynamics and computer graphics. (C) 2015 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.