Quaternion differentiation

Quaternion differentiations formula connects time derivative of component of quaternion q(t)

with component of vector of angular velocity W(t). Quaternion q(t)=(q0(t), q1(t), q2(t), q3(t))
determines attitude of rigid body moving with one fixed point, vector of angular velocity W(t)=(
Wx(t), Wy(t), Wz(t)) determines angular velocity of this body at point of time t. point of time.
Norm of quaternion q(t) is unit, i.e.
q 02 (t ) + q12 (t ) + q 22 (t ) + q 32 (t ) = 1

(1)
Vector W(t) can be represented as quaternion with zero scalar part, i.e
W (t ) = (0, W x (t ), W y (t ), W z (t ))

(2)
Quaternion differentiations formula can be represented as
dq (t ) 1
= W (t )q (t )
2
dt

(3)
Using quaternion multiplication rule
dq 0 (t )
1
= (W x (t )q1 (t ) + W y (t )q 2 (t ) + W z (t )q3 (t ))
2
dt
dq1 (t ) 1
= (W x (t )q 0 (t ) + W y (t )q3 (t ) W z (t )q 2 (t ))
2
dt
dq 2 (t ) 1
= (W y (t )q 0 (t ) + W z (t )q1 (t ) W x (t )q3 (t ))
2
dt
dq3 (t ) 1
= (W z (t )q 0 (t ) + W x (t )q 2 (t ) W y (t )q1 (t ))
dt
2
(4)
Below formula (3) brief and vigorous derivation follows.
Let R0 is any given vector (quaternion with zero scalar part) fixed in rigid body at initial moment
of time t0, Rt is the same vector (quaternion) at moment of time t. Then, obviously
R t = q ( t ) R 0 q 1 ( t )
(5)

If we differentiate (5) then

dRt dq(t )
dq 1 (t )
=
R0 q 1 (t ) + q(t ) R0
dt
dt
dt

(6)
From (5) and (6) we have
dRt dq (t ) 1
dq 1 (t )
=
q (t ) Rt + Rt q (t )
dt
dt
dt
(7)
Because norm of quaternion q(t) is unit, i.e.
q (t )q 1 (t ) = 1
(8)
we have
dq(t ) 1
dq 1 (t )
=0
q (t ) + q(t )
dt
dt
(9)
It follows from (7) and (9) that
dRt dq(t ) 1
dq(t ) 1
=
q (t )
q (t ) Rt Rt
dt
dt
dt
(10)
Let
p (t ) =

dq (t ) 1
q (t )
dt

(11)
Obviously
q 1 (t ) = S ( q 1 (t )) + V ( q 1 (t )) = q 0 (t ) ( q1 (t ), q 2 (t ), q 2 (t ))
(12)
where S() =scalar part, V()=vector part of quaternion

Scalar part S(p(t)) of quaternion p(t) equals

dq (t )
dq (t )
dq (t )
dq (t )
S ( p(t )) = 0 q0 + 1 q1 + 2 q 2 + 3 q3 = 0
dt
dt
dt
dt
because norm of quaternion q(t) is unit.
It follows that p(t) is vector. Because Rt is also vector
p(t ) Rt Rt p (t ) = 2[ p (t ) Rt ]
(13)
where [ab]= cross-product of vector a and vector b.

On the other hand, variable

dRt
is velocity of point of rigid body with one fixed point. Hence
dt

dRt
= [W (t ) Rt ]
dt
(14).
Because Rt is arbitrary vector, it follows from (10), (11), (13) and (14)
W (t ) = 2 p (t ) = 2

dq (t ) 1
q (t )
dt

(15)
It follows from (15) finally that
dq (t ) 1
= W (t )q (t )
dt
2

(3)
It is necessary to draw attention: in formula (3) angular velocity vector W(t)=(WX(t), WY(t),
WZ(t)) is represented by projections on axes of unmoving system of coordinates. If we apply the
projections on axes of moving system of coordinates for the same angular velocity vector then
obviously:
(0,W X (t ),WY (t ),WZ (t )) = q(t )(0, Wx (t ),W y (t ),Wz (t ))q 1 (t )
(16)
Where Wx(t), Wy(t), Wz(t) are projections of angular velocity vector on axes of moving system
of coordinates.
It follows from (3) and (16) that
dq(t ) 1
= q(t )W (t )
dt
2
W (t ) = (W x (t ),W y (t ),W z (t ))
(17)
Finally, consider example of formulas (3) and (17) using for so-called conic moving. In this case
quaternion q(t) equals:


q (t ) = (cos , sin (cos(t ), sin(t ),0))
2
2


q 1 (t ) = (cos , sin (cos(t ), sin(t ),0))
2
2
dq (t )

= (0, sin ( sin(t ), cos(t ),0))
dt
2
(18)

Accordingly (3) and (17) projections of angular velocity vector on axes of unmoving and moving
systems of coordinates equals:
dq (t ) 1
q (t ) = ( sin( ) sin(t ), sin( ) cos(t ), (1 cos( )))
dt
dq (t )
(W x (t ),W y (t ),W z (t )) = 2q 1 (t )
= ( sin( ) sin(t ), sin( ) cos(t ), (cos( ) 1))
dt
(W X (t ),WY (t ),WZ (t )) = 2