Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!njin!princeton!udel!wuarchive!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!emory!att!cbnewsc!ajaym From: ajaym@cbnewsc.ATT.COM (alton.jay.mitchell) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: Trig question Message-ID: <4881@cbnewsc.ATT.COM> Date: 17 Nov 89 22:29:08 GMT References: Distribution: comp Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 15 > " What is the shortest distance between coordinate (a3, b3) and the line > through coordinates (a1, b1) and (a2, b2)? " I didn't take the time to compute a formula, but it seems somewhat obvious that the answer can be presented in 3 parts: (a1,b1)------------------(a2,b2) If (a3,b3) is "within" the area bounded by the perpendicular lines through (a1,b1) and (a2,b2), then the shortest distance is the perpendicular line from (a3,b3) to the line shown. Otherwise, the shortest distance is the line to one of the 2 points, depending on which "side" of the above mentioned area (a3,b3) exists on.