Re: The shortest distance between my keyboard and the Monastery is:

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Re^2: The shortest distance between my keyboard and the Monastery is: by Boots111 (Hermit) on Aug 05, 2005 at 15:47 UTC
All~ A rhumb line is used for nautical navigation. It can be difficult to follow a great circle as the heading of one constantly changes. Thus to go between to nearby points on the world one often uses a rhumbline. Essentially you figure out the initial heading that puts you to toward the point you wish to go to and follow a constant heading, you will take a rhumb line. Rhumb lines form a spiral to the nearest poll (unless your heading is 0). The advantage to having a constant heading is that it is easy to hold a constant heading in a control loop, wheras controlling on a great circle requires much more math. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhumb_line Boots --- Computer science is merely the post-Turing decline of formal systems theory. --???	[reply]
Re^3: The shortest distance between my keyboard and the Monastery is: by mpolo (Chaplain) on Aug 05, 2005 at 17:43 UTC
Rhumb lines form a spiral to the nearest poll (unless your heading is 0). I really thought you were making a joke about the poll ideas quest here. Imagine how disappointed I was when it was a spelling error. But thanks for the information -- you learn something new every day around here.	[reply]
Re^2: The shortest distance between my keyboard and the Monastery is: by tbone1 (Monsignor) on Aug 05, 2005 at 13:02 UTC
Maybe it's supposed to be "a rhumba line" Cha. Cha. Cha. -- tbone1, YAPS (Yet Another Perl Schlub) And remember, if he succeeds, so what. - Chick McGee	[reply]