RotationMatrix
✖
RotationMatrix

gives the 2D rotation matrix that rotates 2D vectors counterclockwise by θ radians.
gives the 3D rotation matrix for a counterclockwise rotation around the 3D vector w.
gives the matrix that rotates the vector u to the direction of the vector v in any dimension.
gives the matrix that rotates by θ radians in the plane spanned by u and v.
Details and Options

- RotationMatrix gives matrices for rotations of vectors around the origin.
- Two different conventions for rotation matrices are in common use.
- RotationMatrix is set up to use the vector-oriented convention and to give a matrix m so that m.r yields the rotated version of a vector r.
- Transpose[RotationMatrix[…]] gives rotation matrices with the alternative coordinate-system-oriented convention for which r.m yields the rotated version of a vector r.
- Angles in RotationMatrix are in radians. θ Degree or θ° specifies an angle in degrees.
- Positive θ in RotationMatrix[θ,{u,v}] corresponds to going from the direction of u towards the direction of v.
- RotationMatrix[θ] is equivalent to RotationMatrix[θ,{{1,0},{0,1}}].
- RotationMatrix[θ,w] is equivalent to RotationMatrix[θ,{u,v}], where u⊥w, v⊥w, and u,v,w form a right-handed coordinate system.
- RotationMatrix gives an orthogonal matrix of determinant 1, that in
dimensions can be considered an element of the group
.
- RotationMatrix supports the option TargetStructure, which specifies the structure of the returned matrix. Possible settings for TargetStructure include:
-
Automatic automatically choose the representation returned "Dense" represent the matrix as a dense matrix "Orthogonal" represent the matrix as an orthogonal matrix "Unitary" represent the matrix as a unitary matrix - RotationMatrix[…,TargetStructureAutomatic] is equivalent to RotationMatrix[…,TargetStructure"Dense"].
Examples
open allclose allBasic Examples (4)Summary of the most common use cases
General 2D rotation matrix for rotating a vector about the origin:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-dxdvyh

Apply rotation by to a unit vector in the
direction:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-bg9pux

Counterclockwise rotation by 30°:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-i9513k

Rotation that transforms the direction of {1,1} into the direction of {0,–1}:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-dnaom7


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-fhv18g

Scope (6)Survey of the scope of standard use cases
A 4D rotation matrix, rotating in the plane:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-daxt8s

A general 3D rotation matrix, rotating in the plane given by t{1,1,1} + s{1,–2,1}:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-jz4x8q

Rotate the vector {1,0,0} to the vector {0,0,1}:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-h5vtdp


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-dptofp

Generate the rotation matrix for symbolic vectors, assuming that all quantities are real:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-c2c0cz

Rotating {0,0,1} gives the normalized {x,y,z} vector:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-ee74gh

Transformation applied to a 2D shape:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-g7xt0l

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-crv30x

Transformation applied to a 3D shape:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-gc95ov

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-c1y145

Options (1)Common values & functionality for each option
TargetStructure (1)
Return the rotation matrix as a dense matrix:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-dbssy

Return the rotation matrix as an orthogonal matrix:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-b7php

Return the rotation matrix as a unitary matrix:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-eowvv1

Applications (2)Sample problems that can be solved with this function

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-xy9dp

Produce a basis for all rotations in dimension :

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-hu0opa

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-kjghw


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-jig6qf

All rotations in 4D; in general basis elements are needed for dimension
:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-i0xxjv

Properties & Relations (9)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions
A rotation matrix is orthogonal, i.e. the inverse is equal to the transpose:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-ffirh8


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-xgyer

In the complex case, the rotation matrix is unitary:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-ed7fhs

A rotation matrix has determinant :

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-cnwchk

Multiplying by the rotation matrix preserves the norm of a vector:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-lfu7j4

The inverse of RotationMatrix[θ,{u,v}] is given by RotationMatrix[-θ,{u,v}]:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-ev1w08

The inverse of RotationMatrix[θ,{u,v}] is also given by RotationMatrix[θ,{v,u}]:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-bp74di

If u or v is not real the relationship is more complex:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-3baxg

In 2D the inverse of RotationMatrix[θ] is given by RotationMatrix[-θ]:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-dc2llt

In 3D the inverse of RotationMatrix[θ,w] is given by RotationMatrix[θ,-w]:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-emezvl

If w is not real the relationship is more complex:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-ddq15f

The composition of rotations is a rotation:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b8ds85rxe-ho53dj

Possible Issues (1)Common pitfalls and unexpected behavior
Wolfram Research (2007), RotationMatrix, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RotationMatrix.html (updated 2024).
Text
Wolfram Research (2007), RotationMatrix, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RotationMatrix.html (updated 2024).
Wolfram Research (2007), RotationMatrix, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RotationMatrix.html (updated 2024).
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2007. "RotationMatrix." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2024. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RotationMatrix.html.
Wolfram Language. 2007. "RotationMatrix." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2024. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RotationMatrix.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2007). RotationMatrix. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RotationMatrix.html
Wolfram Language. (2007). RotationMatrix. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RotationMatrix.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_rotationmatrix, author="Wolfram Research", title="{RotationMatrix}", year="2024", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RotationMatrix.html}", note=[Accessed: 15-April-2025
]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_rotationmatrix, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={RotationMatrix}, year={2024}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RotationMatrix.html}, note=[Accessed: 15-April-2025
]}