The calculation of longitude and latitude from geodesic measurements
Abstract
The solution of the geodesic problem for an oblate ellipsoid is developed in terms of series. Tables are provided to simplify the computation. [This is an English translation of F. W. Bessel, Astronomische Nachrichten 4(86), 241-254 (1825). The mathematical notation has been updated to conform to current conventions and, in a few places, the equations have been rearranged for clarity. Several errors have been corrected, a figure has been included, and the tables have been recomputed.]
Cite
@article{arxiv.0908.1824,
title = {The calculation of longitude and latitude from geodesic measurements},
author = {F. W. Bessel and Charles F. F. Karney and Rodney E. Deakin},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0908.1824},
year = {2012}
}
Comments
11 pages, including 1 figure and 4 pages of tables. Version 2 and 3 fix some minor errors. This translation was edited by Charles F. F. Karney and Rodney E. Deakin. A transcription of the original paper is available at arXiv:0908.1823 . For links to other 18th and 19th century papers on geodesics, see http://geographiclib.sourceforge.net/geodesic-papers/biblio.html