Snellius–Pothenot problem
Problem in trigonometry / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Snellius–Pothenot problem?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
SHOW ALL QUESTIONS
In trigonometry, the Snellius–Pothenot problem is a problem first described in the context of planar surveying. Given three known points A, B, C, an observer at an unknown point P observes that the line segment AC subtends an angle α and the segment CB subtends an angle β; the problem is to determine the position of the point P. (See figure; the point denoted C is between A and B as seen from P).
Since it involves the observation of known points from an unknown point, the problem is an example of resection. Historically it was first studied by Snellius, who found a solution around 1615.