Re: [ATM] Another Math Question

[Jim Burrows <burrjaw@earthlink.net>]

At 2008-05-16 23:49 -0400, Richard F.L.R. Snashall wrote:

>I'm trying to solve a problem in R^3.  I have a point P0 and
>a [unit] direction P0'.  I also have another point P1.  I want
>to find the minimal distance of P1 from the ray path given by
>P0 and P0'.

Richard, your formula is probably right, but quicker and easier (if 
you know cross products), the minimum distance is

         |(P1 - P0)xP0'|

since |XxY| = |X||Y|sinA, with A the angle between the two vectors X, Y.

         -- Jim Burrows
         -- http://home.earthlink.net/~burrjaw
         -- mailto:burrjaw@earthlink.net
         -- Seattle N47.4723 W122.3662 (WGS84)

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