Inverse kinematics refers to a set of algorithms used to compute joint parameters necessary to move a robotic arm to a particular position, or more generally to apply geometric constraints on a mechanism (e.g. moving the center of mass of a humanoid robot).
Inverse kinematics is a subtopic kinematics and is a common encountered in robotics. In the simple case of a robot arm, there sections of the arm are connected by joints and there is an end-effector. A kinematic chain is a mathematical model of the rigid bodies and joint connectors in the robotic arm. Inverse kinematics equations are used to determine what joint parameters are required in the kinematic chain to move the end-effector to a particular position.
