一个2D和3D的解决方案

考虑基底的变化，使得线段变成(0,0,0)-(d, 0,0)和点(u, v, 0)。在这个平面上，最短的距离由

    u ≤ 0 -> d(A, C)
0 ≤ u ≤ d -> |v|
d ≤ u     -> d(B, C)

(到其中一个端点或到支撑线的距离，取决于到该线的投影。等距轨迹由两个半圆和两条线段组成。)

式中，d为AB线段的长度，u、v分别为AB/d (AB方向的单位矢量)与AC的标量积和外积的模量。

AB.AC ≤ 0             -> |AC|
    0 ≤ AB.AC ≤ AB²   -> |ABxAC|/|AB|
          AB² ≤ AB.AC -> |BC|

Grumdrig的c++ /JavaScript实现对我来说非常有用，所以我提供了我正在使用的Python直接端口。完整的代码在这里。

class Point(object):
  def __init__(self, x, y):
    self.x = float(x)
    self.y = float(y)

def square(x):
  return x * x

def distance_squared(v, w):
  return square(v.x - w.x) + square(v.y - w.y)

def distance_point_segment_squared(p, v, w):
  # Segment length squared, |w-v|^2
  d2 = distance_squared(v, w) 
  if d2 == 0: 
    # v == w, return distance to v
    return distance_squared(p, v)
  # Consider the line extending the segment, parameterized as v + t (w - v).
  # We find projection of point p onto the line.
  # It falls where t = [(p-v) . (w-v)] / |w-v|^2
  t = ((p.x - v.x) * (w.x - v.x) + (p.y - v.y) * (w.y - v.y)) / d2;
  if t < 0:
    # Beyond v end of the segment
    return distance_squared(p, v)
  elif t > 1.0:
    # Beyond w end of the segment
    return distance_squared(p, w)
  else:
    # Projection falls on the segment.
    proj = Point(v.x + t * (w.x - v.x), v.y + t * (w.y - v.y))
    # print proj.x, proj.y
    return distance_squared(p, proj)

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

这里是与c++答案相同的东西，但移植到pascal。点参数的顺序已经改变，以适应我的代码，但还是一样的东西。

function Dot(const p1, p2: PointF): double;
begin
  Result := p1.x * p2.x + p1.y * p2.y;
end;
function SubPoint(const p1, p2: PointF): PointF;
begin
  result.x := p1.x - p2.x;
  result.y := p1.y - p2.y;
end;

function ShortestDistance2(const p,v,w : PointF) : double;
var
  l2,t : double;
  projection,tt: PointF;
begin
  // Return minimum distance between line segment vw and point p
  //l2 := length_squared(v, w);  // i.e. |w-v|^2 -  avoid a sqrt
  l2 := Distance(v,w);
  l2 := MPower(l2,2);
  if (l2 = 0.0) then begin
    result:= Distance(p, v);   // v == w case
    exit;
  end;
  // Consider the line extending the segment, parameterized as v + t (w - v).
  // We find projection of point p onto the line.
  // It falls where t = [(p-v) . (w-v)] / |w-v|^2
  t := Dot(SubPoint(p,v),SubPoint(w,v)) / l2;
  if (t < 0.0) then begin
    result := Distance(p, v);       // Beyond the 'v' end of the segment
    exit;
  end
  else if (t > 1.0) then begin
    result := Distance(p, w);  // Beyond the 'w' end of the segment
    exit;
  end;
  //projection := v + t * (w - v);  // Projection falls on the segment
  tt.x := v.x + t * (w.x - v.x);
  tt.y := v.y + t * (w.y - v.y);
  result := Distance(p, tt);
end;

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:

在f#中，点c到a和b之间的线段的距离为:

let pointToLineSegmentDistance (a: Vector, b: Vector) (c: Vector) =
  let d = b - a
  let s = d.Length
  let lambda = (c - a) * d / s
  let p = (lambda |> max 0.0 |> min s) * d / s
  (a + p - c).Length

向量d沿着线段从a指向b。d/s与c-a的点积给出了无限直线与点c之间最接近点的参数。使用min和max函数将该参数钳制到范围0..s，使该点位于a和b之间。最后，a+p-c的长度是c到线段上最近点的距离。

使用示例:

pointToLineSegmentDistance (Vector(0.0, 0.0), Vector(1.0, 0.0)) (Vector(-1.0, 1.0))