在数学

它使用线段的参数描述，并将点投影到线段定义的直线中。当参数在线段内从0到1时，如果投影在这个范围之外，我们计算到相应端点的距离，而不是法线到线段的直线。

Clear["Global`*"];
 distance[{start_, end_}, pt_] := 
   Module[{param},
   param = ((pt - start).(end - start))/Norm[end - start]^2; (*parameter. the "."
                                                       here means vector product*)

   Which[
    param < 0, EuclideanDistance[start, pt],                 (*If outside bounds*)
    param > 1, EuclideanDistance[end, pt],
    True, EuclideanDistance[pt, start + param (end - start)] (*Normal distance*)
    ]
   ];  

策划的结果:

Plot3D[distance[{{0, 0}, {1, 0}}, {xp, yp}], {xp, -1, 2}, {yp, -1, 2}]

画出比截断距离更近的点:

等高线图:

JavaScript中一个基于这个公式的更简洁的解决方案:

distToSegment: function (point, linePointA, linePointB){

    var x0 = point.X;
    var y0 = point.Y;

    var x1 = linePointA.X;
    var y1 = linePointA.Y;

    var x2 = linePointB.X;
    var y2 = linePointB.Y;

    var Dx = (x2 - x1);
    var Dy = (y2 - y1);

    var numerator = Math.abs(Dy*x0 - Dx*y0 - x1*y2 + x2*y1);
    var denominator = Math.sqrt(Dx*Dx + Dy*Dy);
    if (denominator == 0) {
        return this.dist2(point, linePointA);
    }

    return numerator/denominator;

}

忍不住用python来编码:)

from math import sqrt, fabs
def pdis(a, b, c):
    t = b[0]-a[0], b[1]-a[1]           # Vector ab
    dd = sqrt(t[0]**2+t[1]**2)         # Length of ab
    t = t[0]/dd, t[1]/dd               # unit vector of ab
    n = -t[1], t[0]                    # normal unit vector to ab
    ac = c[0]-a[0], c[1]-a[1]          # vector ac
    return fabs(ac[0]*n[0]+ac[1]*n[1]) # Projection of ac to n (the minimum distance)

print pdis((1,1), (2,2), (2,0))        # Example (answer is 1.414)

fortran也是一样:)

real function pdis(a, b, c)
    real, dimension(0:1), intent(in) :: a, b, c
    real, dimension(0:1) :: t, n, ac
    real :: dd
    t = b - a                          ! Vector ab
    dd = sqrt(t(0)**2+t(1)**2)         ! Length of ab
    t = t/dd                           ! unit vector of ab
    n = (/-t(1), t(0)/)                ! normal unit vector to ab
    ac = c - a                         ! vector ac
    pdis = abs(ac(0)*n(0)+ac(1)*n(1))  ! Projection of ac to n (the minimum distance)
end function pdis


program test
    print *, pdis((/1.0,1.0/), (/2.0,2.0/), (/2.0,0.0/))   ! Example (answer is 1.414)
end program test

%Matlab solution by Tim from Cody
function ans=distP2S(x0,y0,x1,y1,x2,y2)
% Point is x0,y0
z=complex(x0-x1,y0-y1);
complex(x2-x1,y2-y1);
abs(z-ans*min(1,max(0,real(z/ans))));

Lua解决方案

-- distance from point (px, py) to line segment (x1, y1, x2, y2)
function distPointToLine(px,py,x1,y1,x2,y2) -- point, start and end of the segment
    local dx,dy = x2-x1,y2-y1
    local length = math.sqrt(dx*dx+dy*dy)
    dx,dy = dx/length,dy/length -- normalization
    local p = dx*(px-x1)+dy*(py-y1)
    if p < 0 then
        dx,dy = px-x1,py-y1
        return math.sqrt(dx*dx+dy*dy), x1, y1 -- distance, nearest point
    elseif p > length then
        dx,dy = px-x2,py-y2
        return math.sqrt(dx*dx+dy*dy), x2, y2 -- distance, nearest point
    end
    return math.abs(dy*(px-x1)-dx*(py-y1)), x1+dx*p, y1+dy*p -- distance, nearest point
end

对于折线(有两条以上线段的线):

-- if the (poly-)line has several segments, just iterate through all of them:
function nearest_sector_in_line (x, y, line)
    local x1, y1, x2, y2, min_dist
    local ax,ay = line[1], line[2]
    for j = 3, #line-1, 2 do
        local bx,by = line[j], line[j+1]
        local dist = distPointToLine(x,y,ax,ay,bx,by)
        if not min_dist or dist < min_dist then
            min_dist = dist
            x1, y1, x2, y2 = ax,ay,bx,by
        end
        ax, ay = bx, by
    end
    return x1, y1, x2, y2
end

例子:

-- call it:
local x1, y1, x2, y2 = nearest_sector_in_line (7, 4, {0,0, 10,0, 10,10, 0,10})

只是遇到了这个，我想我应该添加一个Lua实现。它假设点以表{x=xVal, y=yVal}给出，直线或线段由包含两个点的表给出(见下面的例子):

function distance( P1, P2 )
    return math.sqrt((P1.x-P2.x)^2 + (P1.y-P2.y)^2)
end

-- Returns false if the point lies beyond the reaches of the segment
function distPointToSegment( line, P )
    if line[1].x == line[2].x and line[1].y == line[2].y then
        print("Error: Not a line!")
        return false
    end

    local d = distance( line[1], line[2] )

    local t = ((P.x - line[1].x)*(line[2].x - line[1].x) + (P.y - line[1].y)*(line[2].y - line[1].y))/(d^2)

    local projection = {}
    projection.x = line[1].x + t*(line[2].x-line[1].x)
    projection.y = line[1].y + t*(line[2].y-line[1].y)

    if t >= 0 and t <= 1 then   -- within line segment?
        return distance( projection, {x=P.x, y=P.y} )
    else
        return false
    end
end

-- Returns value even if point is further down the line (outside segment)
function distPointToLine( line, P )
    if line[1].x == line[2].x and line[1].y == line[2].y then
        print("Error: Not a line!")
        return false
    end

    local d = distance( line[1], line[2] )

    local t = ((P.x - line[1].x)*(line[2].x - line[1].x) + (P.y - line[1].y)*(line[2].y - line[1].y))/(d^2)

    local projection = {}
    projection.x = line[1].x + t*(line[2].x-line[1].x)
    projection.y = line[1].y + t*(line[2].y-line[1].y)

    return distance( projection, {x=P.x, y=P.y} )
end

使用示例:

local P1 = {x = 0, y = 0}
local P2 = {x = 10, y = 10}
local line = { P1, P2 }
local P3 = {x = 7, y = 15}
print(distPointToLine( line, P3 ))  -- prints 5.6568542494924
print(distPointToSegment( line, P3 )) -- prints false