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UltrafastPED said:Are you familiar with the Frenet-Serret formulas?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenet–Serret_formulas
Torsion is a measure of how much a curve deviates from being a straight line, or how much it twists or turns as it moves along a path in space.
The normal unit vector is a vector that is perpendicular to the curve at a given point. It is used in the calculation of torsion because it helps determine the direction and magnitude of the curve's twisting or turning.
Torsion is calculated using the formula T = (dN/ds) · B, where dN/ds is the derivative of the normal unit vector with respect to arc length, and B is the binormal vector of the curve. This formula takes into account the curvature of the curve and the rate at which the normal vector changes.
Understanding torsion is important in many fields of science and engineering, such as physics, mathematics, and mechanical engineering. It is used in the analysis of movement and deformation of objects, and can help predict the behavior and stability of structures and systems.
Torsion can be visualized as the twisting or turning of a ribbon or wire as it follows a curved path. It can also be visualized using a graph or animation that shows the changing direction and magnitude of the normal vector along the curve.