What Is a Vector?

What is a Vector?

In physics, we learn that a vector is a way to represent a property of an object that has both magnitude and direction. However, the word vector is used in many different ways throughout our modern world. One example is Vector ( “Oh YEAH!”), the bad guy in Despicable Me. He committed crimes with “Both magnitude and direction, Oh yeah!!” As according to the world of wikipedia, below are examples of other ways the word vector is used.

Vector graphics

Vector graphics refers to the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, and curves (i.e. shapes based on mathematical equations) instead of resolution-dependent bitmap graphics to represent images in computer graphics. In video games this type of projection is somewhat rare, but has become more common in recent years in browser-based gaming with the advent of Flash, since Flash supports vector graphics natively. Earlier examples for the personal computer is Starglider (1986)

Vector game can also refer to a video game that uses a vector graphics display capable of projecting images using an electron beam to draw images instead of with pixels, much like a laser show. Many early arcade games used such displays, as they were capable of displaying more detailed images than raster displays on the hardware available at that time. Many vector-based arcade games used full-color overlays to complement the otherwise monochrome vector images. Other uses of these overlays were very detailed drawings of the static gaming environment, while the moving objects were drawn by the vector beam. Games of this type were produced mainly by Atari, Cinematronics, and Sega. Examples of vector games include Armor Attack, Eliminator, Lunar Lander, Space Fury, Space Wars, Star Trek, Tac/Scan, Tempest and Zektor. The Vectrex home console also used a vector display. After 1985, vector graphics were substantially declining due to improvements to sprite technology, rasterized 3D Filled Polygon Graphics were returning to the arcades and were so popular in the late 80s that vector graphics can no longer compete.

Vector (biology)

Traditionally in medicine, a vector is an organism that does not cause disease itself but which spreads infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another. Species of mosquito, for example, serve as vectors for the deadly disease Malaria. This sense of "biological vector" is the primary one in epidemiology and in common speech. In gene therapy, a virus itself may serve as a vector, if it has been re-engineered and is used to deliver a gene to its target cell. A "vector" in this sense is a vehicle for delivering genetic material such as DNA to a cell.

Vector (malware)

A vector in computing, specifically when talking about malicious code such as viruses or worms, is the method that this code uses to propagate itself or infect the computer. This sense is similar to, and derived from, its meaning in biology.

Vector (G.I. Joe)

Vector is a Cobra Laser Viper serving with the organization's elite Plague Troopers. He was recruited to the Plague due to his modifying his equipment from a targeting system to an offensive laser weapon system. It is rumored Destro tried to recruit him or purchase his technology for M.A.R.S.

Vector (Lift Force)

A fluid flowing past the surface of a body exerts a force on it. Lift is the component of this force that is perpendicular to the oncoming flow direction.[1] It contrasts with the drag force, which is the component of the surface force parallel to the flow direction. If the fluid is air, the force is called an aerodynamic force.

Lift is the force generated by propellers and wings to propel aircraft and keep them in the air. Birds, bats, insects, fish, flying reptiles, and even falling plant seeds have usefully exploited lift for millions of years.