Definition
A tensor, specifically a second order tensor, is a linear mapping from vectors to vectors and is represented by a multidimensional array of values called its “components.”
A tensor field is a mapping from each point in some spatial domain (usually 2D or 3D) to a tensor.
Tensor field visualization is the process of visually representing tensor fields so that features of interest in the field become apparent to the viewer.
Introduction
Some physical phenomena can be represented by a single number, or scalar value. Temperature and density are well-known examples. Other quantities characterized by a magnitude and direction, like force and velocity, are represented as a vector. Yet other phenomena, like mechanical stress and diffusion, are represented by a matrix. This progression, from scalar to vector to matrix, is generalized by the concept of tensor order. Tensors of order 0 are represented by scalars, tensors of order 1 are represented by vectors, and tensors of order 2 are...
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McGraw, T. (2017). Tensor Field Visualization. In: Lee, N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computer Graphics and Games. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08234-9_96-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08234-9_96-1
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