一个计算上更简单的方法，如果你已经知道多边形内的一个点:

从原始多边形中选择任意线段，按此顺序选择点及其坐标。 加上一个已知的“内部”点，形成一个三角形。 根据以上三点计算CW或CCW。

这是我使用其他答案中的解释的解决方案:

def segments(poly):
    """A sequence of (x,y) numeric coordinates pairs """
    return zip(poly, poly[1:] + [poly[0]])

def check_clockwise(poly):
    clockwise = False
    if (sum(x0*y1 - x1*y0 for ((x0, y0), (x1, y1)) in segments(poly))) < 0:
        clockwise = not clockwise
    return clockwise

poly = [(2,2),(6,2),(6,6),(2,6)]
check_clockwise(poly)
False

poly = [(2, 6), (6, 6), (6, 2), (2, 2)]
check_clockwise(poly)
True

从其中一个顶点开始，计算每条边对应的角度。

第一个和最后一个将是零(所以跳过它们);对于其余部分，角度的正弦值将由归一化与(点[n]-点[0])和(点[n-1]-点[0])的单位长度的叉乘给出。

如果这些值的和是正的，那么你的多边形是逆时针方向绘制的。

c#代码实现lhf的答案:

// https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curve_orientation#Orientation_of_a_simple_polygon
public static WindingOrder DetermineWindingOrder(IList<Vector2> vertices)
{
    int nVerts = vertices.Count;
    // If vertices duplicates first as last to represent closed polygon,
    // skip last.
    Vector2 lastV = vertices[nVerts - 1];
    if (lastV.Equals(vertices[0]))
        nVerts -= 1;
    int iMinVertex = FindCornerVertex(vertices);
    // Orientation matrix:
    //     [ 1  xa  ya ]
    // O = | 1  xb  yb |
    //     [ 1  xc  yc ]
    Vector2 a = vertices[WrapAt(iMinVertex - 1, nVerts)];
    Vector2 b = vertices[iMinVertex];
    Vector2 c = vertices[WrapAt(iMinVertex + 1, nVerts)];
    // determinant(O) = (xb*yc + xa*yb + ya*xc) - (ya*xb + yb*xc + xa*yc)
    double detOrient = (b.X * c.Y + a.X * b.Y + a.Y * c.X) - (a.Y * b.X + b.Y * c.X + a.X * c.Y);

    // TBD: check for "==0", in which case is not defined?
    // Can that happen?  Do we need to check other vertices / eliminate duplicate vertices?
    WindingOrder result = detOrient > 0
            ? WindingOrder.Clockwise
            : WindingOrder.CounterClockwise;
    return result;
}

public enum WindingOrder
{
    Clockwise,
    CounterClockwise
}

// Find vertex along one edge of bounding box.
// In this case, we find smallest y; in case of tie also smallest x.
private static int FindCornerVertex(IList<Vector2> vertices)
{
    int iMinVertex = -1;
    float minY = float.MaxValue;
    float minXAtMinY = float.MaxValue;
    for (int i = 0; i < vertices.Count; i++)
    {
        Vector2 vert = vertices[i];
        float y = vert.Y;
        if (y > minY)
            continue;
        if (y == minY)
            if (vert.X >= minXAtMinY)
                continue;

        // Minimum so far.
        iMinVertex = i;
        minY = y;
        minXAtMinY = vert.X;
    }

    return iMinVertex;
}

// Return value in (0..n-1).
// Works for i in (-n..+infinity).
// If need to allow more negative values, need more complex formula.
private static int WrapAt(int i, int n)
{
    // "+n": Moves (-n..) up to (0..).
    return (i + n) % n;
}

下面是基于这个答案的一个简单的Python 3实现(反过来，它是基于已接受答案中提出的解决方案)

def is_clockwise(points):
    # points is your list (or array) of 2d points.
    assert len(points) > 0
    s = 0.0
    for p1, p2 in zip(points, points[1:] + [points[0]]):
        s += (p2[0] - p1[0]) * (p2[1] + p1[1])
    return s > 0.0

如果使用Matlab，如果多边形顶点按顺时针顺序排列，函数ispolycw将返回true。