6. Glossary

Scalar product; dot product

Symmetrical bilinear application whose associated quadratic form is positive. The matrix associated with this quadratic form is positive definite.

Metric

Measure of unity in all directions. A metric is represented by a symmetrical positive-definite matrix, generalizing the notion of scalar product.

Element metric

Metric in which the element is unitary (its sides are of unitary length).

Element shape quality

Measure to quantify the regularity of an element.

Euclidean space; Espace euclidien

Space with a constant metric.

Riemannian space; Espace riemanien

Space with a variable metric....