Tag: distance

Distance is a numerical description of how far apart objects are. In physics or everyday discussion, distance may refer to a physical length, or an estimation based on other criteria (e.g. “two counties over”). In mathematics, a distance function or metric is a generalization of the concept of physical distance. A metric is a function that behaves according to a specific set of rules, and provides a concrete way of describing what it means for elements of some space to be “close to” or “far away from” each other.
In most cases, “distance from A to B” is interchangeable with “distance between B and A”.
In neutral geometry, the distance between (x1.) and (x2) is the length of the line segment between them:
In analytic geometry, the distance between two points of the xy-plane can be found using the distance formula. The distance between (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) is given by:
Similarly, given points (x1, y1, z1) and (x2, y2, z2) in three-space, the distance between them is:
These formulae are…