我将提出另一个解决方案，因为它很简单，不需要大量的数学运算，它只是使用了基本的代数。计算多边形的带符号面积。如果是负的，点是顺时针的，如果是正的，点是逆时针的。(这与Beta的解决方案非常相似。)

计算带符号的面积: A = 1/2 * (x1*y2 - x2*y1 + x2*y3 - x3*y2 +…+ xn*y1 - x1*yn)

或者在伪代码中:

signedArea = 0
for each point in points:
    x1 = point[0]
    y1 = point[1]
    if point is last point
        x2 = firstPoint[0]
        y2 = firstPoint[1]
    else
        x2 = nextPoint[0]
        y2 = nextPoint[1]
    end if

    signedArea += (x1 * y2 - x2 * y1)
end for
return signedArea / 2

注意，如果你只是检查顺序，你不需要麻烦除以2。

来源:http://mathworld.wolfram.com/PolygonArea.html

Sean的答案的JavaScript实现:

function calcArea(poly) { if(!poly || poly.length < 3) return null; let end = poly.length - 1; let sum = poly[end][0]*poly[0][1] - poly[0][0]*poly[end][1]; for(let i=0; i<end; ++i) { const n=i+1; sum += poly[i][0]*poly[n][1] - poly[n][0]*poly[i][1]; } return sum; } function isClockwise(poly) { return calcArea(poly) > 0; } let poly = [[352,168],[305,208],[312,256],[366,287],[434,248],[416,186]]; console.log(isClockwise(poly)); let poly2 = [[618,186],[650,170],[701,179],[716,207],[708,247],[666,259],[637,246],[615,219]]; console.log(isClockwise(poly2));

我很确定这是对的。这似乎是有效的:-)

这些多边形看起来是这样的，如果你想知道的话:

正如这篇维基百科文章中所解释的曲线方向，给定平面上的3个点p, q和r(即x和y坐标)，您可以计算以下行列式的符号

如果行列式为负(即定向(p, q, r) < 0)，则多边形是顺时针方向(CW)。如果行列式为正(即定向(p, q, r) > 0)，则多边形是逆时针方向(CCW)。如果点p, q和r共线，行列式为零(即定向(p, q, r) == 0)。

在上面的公式中，由于我们使用的是齐次坐标，我们将1放在p, q和r的坐标前面。

Javascript实现的lhf的答案 (再次强调，这只适用于简单的多边形，即不适用于图8)

let polygon = [ {x:5,y:0}, {x:6,y:4}, {x:4,y:5}, {x:1,y:5}, {x:1,y:0} ] document.body.innerHTML += `Polygon ${polygon.map(p=>`(${p.x}, ${p.y})`).join(", ")} is clockwise? ${isPolygonClockwise(polygon)}` let reversePolygon = [] polygon.forEach(point=>reversePolygon.unshift(point)) document.body.innerHTML += `<br/>Polygon ${reversePolygon.map(p=>`(${p.x}, ${p.y})`).join(", ")} is clockwise? ${isPolygonClockwise(reversePolygon)}` function isPolygonClockwise (polygon) { // From http://www.faqs.org/faqs/graphics/algorithms-faq/ "How do I find the orientation of a simple polygon?" // THIS SOMETIMES FAILS if the polygon is a figure 8, or similar shape where it crosses over itself // Take the lowest point (break ties with the right-most). if (polygon.length < 3) { return true // A single point or two points can't be clockwise/counterclockwise } let previousPoint = polygon[0] let lowestPoint = polygon[1] let nextPoint = polygon[2] polygon.forEach((point, index)=>{ if (point.y > lowestPoint.y || (point.y === lowestPoint.y && point.x > lowestPoint.x)) { // larger y values are lower, in svgs // Break ties with furthest right previousPoint = polygon[(index-1) >= (0) ? (index-1) : (polygon.length-1)] lowestPoint = polygon[index] nextPoint = polygon[(index+1) <= (polygon.length-1) ? (index+1) : (0)] } }) // Check the angle between the previous point, that point, and the next point. // If the angle is less than PI radians, the polygon is clockwise let angle = findAngle(previousPoint, lowestPoint, nextPoint) return angle < Math.PI } function findAngle(A,B,C) { var AB = Math.atan2(B.y-A.y, B.x-A.x); var BC = Math.atan2(C.y-B.y, C.x-B.x); if (AB < 0) AB += Math.PI*2 if (BC < 0) BC += Math.PI*2 return BC-AB; }

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。