Position Independent

The points in the previous diagram show how the combined effect of two displacements is calculated by adding them together. But the addition of the displacements did not actually involve the points. Vector addition usually is shown as in the diagram. The diagram shows that the effect of moving through the displacement u and then moving through the displacement v is the same as moving through the displacement w.

For example, say that you wish to move all the points of a geometric object through displacement u and then through displacement v. You could do this by moving each point through displacement w.