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I have been studying Lie groups for a bit of fun for a while now and think they are fascinating. I have recently been told that $SU(2)$ can be used in some way to keep track of navigational systems in bodies as they complete whole turns.

Does anyone know anything on this subject that can explain it to me clearly and maybe have any idea where I can read up on it?

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    What do you mean by "in bodies"? Do you mean like human bodies, or just a generic term for objects?2012-05-07
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    generic term for objects2012-05-07
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    For an explanation and stories of what may go wrong, if you try to cover the group $SO(3)$ with $S_1\times S_1\times S_1$ instead of $SU(2)$ search for [*Gimbal lock*](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimbal_lock).2012-05-07

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