geodesic line


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ge′odes′ic line′


n.
the shortest line lying on a given surface and connecting two given points.
[1885–90]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.geodesic line - (mathematics) the shortest line between two points on a mathematically defined surface (as a straight line on a plane or an arc of a great circle on a sphere)
math, mathematics, maths - a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement
line - a length (straight or curved) without breadth or thickness; the trace of a moving point
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
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References in periodicals archive ?
This is an unusual property of the Hilbert geometry in a triangle, and means that there is not a unique geodesic line joining two different points.
This Newtonian equation remains in tact when we are in curved spacetime, and in a reference frame that freely falls along a geodesic line. Thus the Newtonian time t must now interpreted as the proper time [micro] measured along the geodesic.
The deviation of the geodesic line [GAMMA](v +dv) from the geodesic line [GAMMA](v) can be found by solving the equation [17]
which is the actual fact that the absolute differential D[U.sup.[alpha]] = = d[U.sup.[alpha]] + [[GAMMA].sup.[alpha].sub.[mu][nu]][U.sup.[mu]][dx.sup.[nu]] of a tangential vector [U.sup.[alpha]] (the velocity world-vector [U.sup.[alpha]] = [dx.sup.[alpha]]/ds, in this case), transferred along that geodesic line to where it is tangential, is zero.
Synchronization of these two movements allows a removal of the tape on the mandrel according to geodesic lines. To prevent slippage of the tape, which can cause wrinkling around the eye guide, a rotation of the eye guide around the axis of symmetry of its light is needed and its numerical values are to be determined.
For instance, the navigation based on geodesic lines and connected software of the ship's devices (electronic chart, positioning and steering systems) gives a strong argument to research and use geodesic-based methods for calculations instead of the loxodromic trajectories in general.
Like geodesic lines felt as gravity's force, when another person is close enough to be present face-to-face, we feel the "ethical force of gravity." And just as gravity is not a separate being (graviton) or a god moving divine spheres, but rather the natural way physics describes how bodies in motion affect one another, so also ethics is not a deduction from reason and freedom nor dependent on adieu bouchetrou, but the way phenomenology describes how the other arcs above me commanding responsibility.