Talk:Snellius–Pothenot problem

Potential Correction to Angle "C" Description
In the text describing equation 1, a statement is made regarding the situation where both "C" and "P" fall on the same side of line AB. The statement claims that angle "C" will be greater than pi in that case. However, that does not seem universally true, so I wish to clarify before making an edit. If the image shown was kept the same but only point "P" moved to be above line AB, now the sum of angles alpha and beta would be greater than pi, while angle "C" remains less than pi. Does the solution with the given set of equations still work fine in this case?

If so, I would suggest a simple edit to the text indicating "... either angle "C" or angle "APB" will be greater than pi" in place of "...the angle C will be greater than pi" to avoid confusing/misleading readers. 47.33.120.247 (talk) 01:45, 13 October 2021 (UTC)

Proposal to merge the article Position resection into this article - rename this article to Resection (Triangulation)
There was a proposal to merge the article Resection (Free Stationing) into the article Position resection.

The two above article got nothing to do with each other. The mathematical solution is different.

But the article Position resection is based on the so called "Snellius–Pothenot problem". In Surveying "Resection" is referring to what is here called "Snellius–Pothenot problem".

The method "Resection" is used in Triangulation to establish a new point in a survey network.

Willebrord Snell was a Mathematician and a Surveyor, see: Willebrord Snell and modern triangulation networks.

In Surveying Literature it is always referred to Resection, not to the "Snellius–Pothenot problem". The notes in this article are referencing to resection in surveying. A surveyor would never search for "Snellius–Pothenot problem", he will search for "Resection".

In all of the above we have four "different groups" involved:
 * 1) WikiProject Maps
 * 2) WikiProject Mathematics
 * 3) WikiProject Orienteering
 * 4) Surveyors

The article Snellius–Pothenot problem should be renamed to Resection (Triangulation). "Snellius–Pothenot problem" should be redirected to the new named article.

The article Position resection should be merged into Resection (Triangulation)

The Article Resection (Free Stationing) has nothing to do with the above article. Different mathematical solution.

I am a Surveyor. Darwipli (talk) 10:06, 7 March 2016 (UTC)


 * Snellius–Pothenot problem is only one solution of Position resection, see also Tienstra formula. fgnievinski (talk) 04:32, 1 June 2016 (UTC)

Clarification of x, y, z in the Rational trigonometry approach section
In the above section a definition of what x, y and z are is not provided. This causes a problem for readers trying to use the method addressed in that section. In coordinate geometry, which the "Snellius–Pothenot problem" is related to, terms such as (x,y,z) are often used to denote coordinates in 3 dimensions. In other mathematical or trigonometric topics that expression is often used to denote the 3 angles of a triangle. This section needs to state what x y and z are. Robertagribot (talk) 10:59, 7 July 2024 (UTC)
 * Those three are simple placeholders, abstract parameters for two helper functions – a one-parameter $$s(\cdot)$$ and a three-parameters $$A(\cdot,\cdot,\cdot)$$. They have no meaning to define, except showing where each parameter shall be used during calculations. Similarly, if you define a function $$\operatorname{square}(x) = x\cdot x$$, you do not 'define' what the $$x$$ is in the $$\operatorname{square}(\cdot)$$ function – it can be a coordinate, or length, or age, or weight, or whatever you need to square. The meaning of a parameter gets defined when you apply the function and assign some actual argument to the parameter. In the article, for example, when the $$s(x)$$ function is used in $$r_1 = s(\beta)$$, then $$x$$ becomes the measure of the measured $$\beta$$ angle. --CiaPan (talk) 08:55, 8 July 2024 (UTC)