The geodesic problem that computes the distance and both forward and backward azimuths between two points on the Earth's surface is commonly known as which problem?

The geodesic problem that computes the distance and both forward and backward azimuths between two points on the Earth's surface is commonly known as which problem?

• A. Geodetic Inverse
• B. Direct Geodesic Problem
• C. Geodetic Forward
• D. Coordinate Transformation

Answer: (A)

The task is about finding the distance and the two bearings between two points on the Earth’s ellipsoid, which is known as the inverse geodesic problem. The geodesic is the shortest path on the ellipsoid between the points, and solving this yields the distance along that path, plus the forward azimuth (the initial bearing from the first point toward the second) and the backward azimuth (the bearing at the second point back toward the first). This naming makes sense because you’re working backward from the two points to determine the path and its quantities. By contrast, the direct geodesic problem starts from a known point, an initial bearing, and a distance to compute the destination point and the final bearing. The other option doesn’t describe this path-solving task at all; it refers to changing coordinate systems.

The task is about finding the distance and the two bearings between two points on the Earth’s ellipsoid, which is known as the inverse geodesic problem. The geodesic is the shortest path on the ellipsoid between the points, and solving this yields the distance along that path, plus the forward azimuth (the initial bearing from the first point toward the second) and the backward azimuth (the bearing at the second point back toward the first). This naming makes sense because you’re working backward from the two points to determine the path and its quantities. By contrast, the direct geodesic problem starts from a known point, an initial bearing, and a distance to compute the destination point and the final bearing. The other option doesn’t describe this path-solving task at all; it refers to changing coordinate systems.