Geodesics are the shortest paths on a curved surface
Geodesics on an ellipsoid
Geodesics are the shortest paths on a curved surface
Geodesics are analogous to straight lines on a plane surface. They represent the shortest distance between two points on a curved surface, such as an ellipsoid or sphere. This concept is crucial in fields like geodesy and navigation.
Example
On an ellipsoid, the shortest path between two points is not necessarily a straight line, but a geodesic that curves along the surface.
Remember this
Understanding geodesics is essential for accurate mapping and navigation on curved surfaces like Earth.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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