这个问题的大多数答案并没有很好地处理所有的极端情况。以下是一些微妙的极端情况: 这是一个javascript版本，所有角落的情况都得到了很好的处理。

/** Get relationship between a point and a polygon using ray-casting algorithm
 * @param {{x:number, y:number}} P: point to check
 * @param {{x:number, y:number}[]} polygon: the polygon
 * @returns -1: outside, 0: on edge, 1: inside
 */
function relationPP(P, polygon) {
    const between = (p, a, b) => p >= a && p <= b || p <= a && p >= b
    let inside = false
    for (let i = polygon.length-1, j = 0; j < polygon.length; i = j, j++) {
        const A = polygon[i]
        const B = polygon[j]
        // corner cases
        if (P.x == A.x && P.y == A.y || P.x == B.x && P.y == B.y) return 0
        if (A.y == B.y && P.y == A.y && between(P.x, A.x, B.x)) return 0

        if (between(P.y, A.y, B.y)) { // if P inside the vertical range
            // filter out "ray pass vertex" problem by treating the line a little lower
            if (P.y == A.y && B.y >= A.y || P.y == B.y && A.y >= B.y) continue
            // calc cross product `PA X PB`, P lays on left side of AB if c > 0 
            const c = (A.x - P.x) * (B.y - P.y) - (B.x - P.x) * (A.y - P.y)
            if (c == 0) return 0
            if ((A.y < B.y) == (c > 0)) inside = !inside
        }
    }

    return inside? 1 : -1
}

如果你正在使用谷歌Map SDK，想要检查一个点是否在一个多边形内，你可以尝试使用GMSGeometryContainsLocation。效果很好!!它是这样运作的，

if GMSGeometryContainsLocation(point, polygon, true) {
    print("Inside this polygon.")
} else {
    print("outside this polygon")
}

这里是参考资料:https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/ios-sdk/reference/group___geometry_utils#gaba958d3776d49213404af249419d0ffd

我知道这是旧的，但这里是一个在Cocoa实现的光线投射算法，如果有人感兴趣的话。不确定这是最有效的方法，但它可能会帮助别人。

- (BOOL)shape:(NSBezierPath *)path containsPoint:(NSPoint)point
{
    NSBezierPath *currentPath = [path bezierPathByFlatteningPath];
    BOOL result;
    float aggregateX = 0; //I use these to calculate the centroid of the shape
    float aggregateY = 0;
    NSPoint firstPoint[1];
    [currentPath elementAtIndex:0 associatedPoints:firstPoint];
    float olderX = firstPoint[0].x;
    float olderY = firstPoint[0].y;
    NSPoint interPoint;
    int noOfIntersections = 0;

    for (int n = 0; n < [currentPath elementCount]; n++) {
        NSPoint points[1];
        [currentPath elementAtIndex:n associatedPoints:points];
        aggregateX += points[0].x;
        aggregateY += points[0].y;
    }

    for (int n = 0; n < [currentPath elementCount]; n++) {
        NSPoint points[1];

        [currentPath elementAtIndex:n associatedPoints:points];
        //line equations in Ax + By = C form
        float _A_FOO = (aggregateY/[currentPath elementCount]) - point.y;  
        float _B_FOO = point.x - (aggregateX/[currentPath elementCount]);
        float _C_FOO = (_A_FOO * point.x) + (_B_FOO * point.y);

        float _A_BAR = olderY - points[0].y;
        float _B_BAR = points[0].x - olderX;
        float _C_BAR = (_A_BAR * olderX) + (_B_BAR * olderY);

        float det = (_A_FOO * _B_BAR) - (_A_BAR * _B_FOO);
        if (det != 0) {
            //intersection points with the edges
            float xIntersectionPoint = ((_B_BAR * _C_FOO) - (_B_FOO * _C_BAR)) / det;
            float yIntersectionPoint = ((_A_FOO * _C_BAR) - (_A_BAR * _C_FOO)) / det;
            interPoint = NSMakePoint(xIntersectionPoint, yIntersectionPoint);
            if (olderX <= points[0].x) {
                //doesn't matter in which direction the ray goes, so I send it right-ward.
                if ((interPoint.x >= olderX && interPoint.x <= points[0].x) && (interPoint.x > point.x)) {  
                    noOfIntersections++;
                }
            } else {
                if ((interPoint.x >= points[0].x && interPoint.x <= olderX) && (interPoint.x > point.x)) {
                     noOfIntersections++;
                } 
            }
        }
        olderX = points[0].x;
        olderY = points[0].y;
    }
    if (noOfIntersections % 2 == 0) {
        result = FALSE;
    } else {
        result = TRUE;
    }
    return result;
}

如果你正在寻找一个java脚本库，有一个javascript谷歌maps v3扩展的Polygon类，以检测是否有一个点驻留在它里面。

var polygon = new google.maps.Polygon([], "#000000", 1, 1, "#336699", 0.3);
var isWithinPolygon = polygon.containsLatLng(40, -90);

谷歌扩展Github

当使用qt (qt 4.3+)时，可以使用QPolygon的函数containsPoint

答案取决于你用的是简单多边形还是复杂多边形。简单多边形不能有任何线段交点。所以它们可以有洞，但线不能交叉。复杂区域可以有直线交点，所以它们可以有重叠的区域，或者只有一点相交的区域。

对于简单多边形，最好的算法是光线投射(交叉数)算法。对于复杂多边形，该算法不检测重叠区域内的点。所以对于复杂多边形你必须使用圈数算法。

下面是一篇用C实现这两种算法的优秀文章。我试过了，效果不错。

http://geomalgorithms.com/a03-_inclusion.html