# Is it true that "one does not add two vectors of different origin"?

In a french book : Linear Algebra (6th edition) from Joseph Grifone, who is expected to be the best book on the topic in french language, it is stated, in first chapter : "Remark: one does not add two vectors of different origin."

I never heard about this at school. In particular, what we learned is that if wish to make the sum of a vector $$\vec{u}$$ and a vector $$\vec{v}$$ (who are distinct in the space, without a ame origin), one just makes the geometrical construction of moving the $$\vec{v}$$ to the end of the $$\vec{v}$$ to deduce the vectorial sum.

My question is thus : it is true that one does not add two vectors of different origin ?

Or is it a specific context ?

• What was being said at school sound reasonable. It always do for two vectors of different origins. Feb 4 at 8:56
• The author of your book would consider the vectors in your example to have the same origin. I think it's stupid to put a remark like that in there without context, and I think you can safely ignore that remark because once you get the context you'd never do what you're warmed about here anyway Feb 4 at 9:06
• Thanks. But I'm really puzzled that he may have put a stupid comment, because the author is supposed to the "best teacher" on this topic. Feb 4 at 9:11
• The mathematical answer is: vectors actually don't have origins, so there is no problem! Feb 4 at 10:44