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From: pumphrey@ttidcb.UUCP (Larry Pumphrey)
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: Re: Distance between circles
Message-ID: <482@ttidcb.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 18-Oct-85 13:26:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttidcb.482
Posted: Fri Oct 18 13:26:09 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 20-Oct-85 06:11:43 EDT
Organization: TTI, Santa Monica, CA.
Lines: 14


> -------------
> The problem:
>         Find a nice formula for the distance between
>         arbitrary circles in 3 dimensions.
>
> The circles can be in any orientation relative to one
> another.  The distance is defined to be the minimum
> distance between any two points on the circles.
> The circles could intersect, for instance.

Are we talking hoola-hoops or frisbies?  When you say "points on
the  circle" do you mean points on the perimeter?  Under certain
orientations, interior points will provide the minimum distance.