Analogues between 2D Linear Equations and Great Circle Sailing

摘要

This paper presents the similarities between equations used for great circle sailing and 2D linear equations. Great circle sailing adopts spherical triangle equations and vector algebra to solve problems of distance, azimuth and waypoints on the great circle; these equations are sophisticated and deemed hard for those unfamiliar with them, whereas on the other hand, 2D linear equations can be solved easily with basic algebra and trigonometry definitions. By pointing out the similarities, readers can quickly comprehend great circle equations and grasp just how similar they are to the corresponding 2D linear equations.