Question:

In 3D transformations, what is the purpose of homogeneous coordinates?

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Adding an extra coordinate lets even translation become a matrix operation.
Updated On: Jul 2, 2026
  • To represent points using only two coordinates
  • To simplify calculations for translation only
  • To perform transformations using matrix multiplication
  • To remove the need for scaling transformations
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: In ordinary 3D coordinates, translation is an addition, while scaling and rotation are matrix multiplications. Mixing addition and multiplication makes it hard to combine transformations.

Step 2: Homogeneous coordinates add a fourth component, writing a point as \( (x, y, z, 1) \). This lets translation also be written as a matrix multiplication.

Step 3: With all transformations as 4x4 matrices, a whole sequence can be multiplied into one composite matrix and applied uniformly.

Step 4: So the purpose is to perform transformations using matrix multiplication.
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