16-211 Foundational Mathematics of Robotics

12 units, Carnegie Mellon University

This course will cover core mathematics concepts used in many advanced robotics courses at the RI. Perhaps unlike prior courses in math, the focus of this class will be to ground concepts in robotics algorithms or applications. For example: How to move and manipulate objects in 3D space (coordinate transforms, rotations). How to move an articulated robots end-effector in Cartesian space (Jacobians, gradient optimization). How to have a robot learn to recognize a vision input (neural networks, back propagation). How to plan navigate a robot optimally (dynamic programming, A* Search).

Prerequisites: 21-122 and 21-241

Offered: Spring 2027, Fall 2026, Fall 2025

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