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2 Three-dimensional distance |
For two 2D points P=[px,py] and Q=[qx,qy], the distance is computed as
A fast approximation of 2D distance based on an octagonal boundary can be computed as follows.
Let dx = |px-qx| (absolute value) and dy = |py-qy|. If dy≥dx, aproximated distance is 0.41dx+0.941246dy.
(If dy<dx, swap these values.)
The difference from the exact distance is between -6% and +3%; more than 85% of all possible differences are between -3% to +3%.
Two-dimensional distance
Approximation
fasthypot :=unapply(piecewise(abs(dx)>abs(dy), abs(dx)*0.941246+abs(dy)*0.41, abs(dy)*0.941246+abs(dx)*0.41), dx, dy):hypot := unapply(sqrt(x^2+y^2), x, y): plots[display](plots[implicitplot](fasthypot(x,y) > 1, x=-1.1..1.1, y=-1.1..1.1, numpoints=4000), plottools[circle]([0,0], 1), scaling=constrained,thickness=2);
Other approximations exist as well. They generally try to avoid the square root, which is an expensive operation in terms of processing time, and provide various error:speed ratio. Using the above notation, dx + dy - 2*min(dx,dy) yields error in interval 0% to 12%. (Attributed to Alan Paeth.)