physical interpretation or practical meaning of a distance












2














How can I find/understand the physical explanation or practical
meaning of a distance? For example Euclidean distance is the shortest
path between two points, how about for other distances?










share|cite|improve this question






















  • Some distance functions have physical interpretations some don't. you should specify the metric you have in mind so people can comment on that.
    – Buddha
    Oct 5 '14 at 13:45












  • How can we find that a distance has/has not physical/geometric interpretation, e.g. Canberra distance? What is its importance in practice?
    – user45297
    Oct 5 '14 at 18:49










  • you can always google it or ask here to see if a certain metric has any applications in the real world. e.g. I've found this for Canberra distance. But I don't think having an application is an intrinsic mathematical property of a function.
    – Buddha
    Oct 5 '14 at 20:19


















2














How can I find/understand the physical explanation or practical
meaning of a distance? For example Euclidean distance is the shortest
path between two points, how about for other distances?










share|cite|improve this question






















  • Some distance functions have physical interpretations some don't. you should specify the metric you have in mind so people can comment on that.
    – Buddha
    Oct 5 '14 at 13:45












  • How can we find that a distance has/has not physical/geometric interpretation, e.g. Canberra distance? What is its importance in practice?
    – user45297
    Oct 5 '14 at 18:49










  • you can always google it or ask here to see if a certain metric has any applications in the real world. e.g. I've found this for Canberra distance. But I don't think having an application is an intrinsic mathematical property of a function.
    – Buddha
    Oct 5 '14 at 20:19
















2












2








2


1





How can I find/understand the physical explanation or practical
meaning of a distance? For example Euclidean distance is the shortest
path between two points, how about for other distances?










share|cite|improve this question













How can I find/understand the physical explanation or practical
meaning of a distance? For example Euclidean distance is the shortest
path between two points, how about for other distances?







geometric-interpretation






share|cite|improve this question













share|cite|improve this question











share|cite|improve this question




share|cite|improve this question










asked Oct 5 '14 at 13:27









user45297user45297

114




114












  • Some distance functions have physical interpretations some don't. you should specify the metric you have in mind so people can comment on that.
    – Buddha
    Oct 5 '14 at 13:45












  • How can we find that a distance has/has not physical/geometric interpretation, e.g. Canberra distance? What is its importance in practice?
    – user45297
    Oct 5 '14 at 18:49










  • you can always google it or ask here to see if a certain metric has any applications in the real world. e.g. I've found this for Canberra distance. But I don't think having an application is an intrinsic mathematical property of a function.
    – Buddha
    Oct 5 '14 at 20:19




















  • Some distance functions have physical interpretations some don't. you should specify the metric you have in mind so people can comment on that.
    – Buddha
    Oct 5 '14 at 13:45












  • How can we find that a distance has/has not physical/geometric interpretation, e.g. Canberra distance? What is its importance in practice?
    – user45297
    Oct 5 '14 at 18:49










  • you can always google it or ask here to see if a certain metric has any applications in the real world. e.g. I've found this for Canberra distance. But I don't think having an application is an intrinsic mathematical property of a function.
    – Buddha
    Oct 5 '14 at 20:19


















Some distance functions have physical interpretations some don't. you should specify the metric you have in mind so people can comment on that.
– Buddha
Oct 5 '14 at 13:45






Some distance functions have physical interpretations some don't. you should specify the metric you have in mind so people can comment on that.
– Buddha
Oct 5 '14 at 13:45














How can we find that a distance has/has not physical/geometric interpretation, e.g. Canberra distance? What is its importance in practice?
– user45297
Oct 5 '14 at 18:49




How can we find that a distance has/has not physical/geometric interpretation, e.g. Canberra distance? What is its importance in practice?
– user45297
Oct 5 '14 at 18:49












you can always google it or ask here to see if a certain metric has any applications in the real world. e.g. I've found this for Canberra distance. But I don't think having an application is an intrinsic mathematical property of a function.
– Buddha
Oct 5 '14 at 20:19






you can always google it or ask here to see if a certain metric has any applications in the real world. e.g. I've found this for Canberra distance. But I don't think having an application is an intrinsic mathematical property of a function.
– Buddha
Oct 5 '14 at 20:19












2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















0














Imagine a plane of Cartesian coordinates. Now consider two different points on it.



Now tell me in how many ways you can join them??



So Euclidean distance is defined as the shortest distance between two points which is a straight line.






share|cite|improve this answer





























    0














    A distance (between two points, say) does not have to be a straight line or a shortest path -- a distance function is what you define it to be, but it has to be well-defined and unambiguous. For example, in the Cartesian plane, the Euclidean distance between two points is defined as the shortest path joining them, but the Taxicab distance between them is the shortest path if you 'move' from one to the other only along the 'roads' or lines parallel to the axes.






    share|cite|improve this answer





















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      2 Answers
      2






      active

      oldest

      votes








      2 Answers
      2






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes









      0














      Imagine a plane of Cartesian coordinates. Now consider two different points on it.



      Now tell me in how many ways you can join them??



      So Euclidean distance is defined as the shortest distance between two points which is a straight line.






      share|cite|improve this answer


























        0














        Imagine a plane of Cartesian coordinates. Now consider two different points on it.



        Now tell me in how many ways you can join them??



        So Euclidean distance is defined as the shortest distance between two points which is a straight line.






        share|cite|improve this answer
























          0












          0








          0






          Imagine a plane of Cartesian coordinates. Now consider two different points on it.



          Now tell me in how many ways you can join them??



          So Euclidean distance is defined as the shortest distance between two points which is a straight line.






          share|cite|improve this answer












          Imagine a plane of Cartesian coordinates. Now consider two different points on it.



          Now tell me in how many ways you can join them??



          So Euclidean distance is defined as the shortest distance between two points which is a straight line.







          share|cite|improve this answer












          share|cite|improve this answer



          share|cite|improve this answer










          answered Oct 5 '14 at 13:40









          JasserJasser

          1,678823




          1,678823























              0














              A distance (between two points, say) does not have to be a straight line or a shortest path -- a distance function is what you define it to be, but it has to be well-defined and unambiguous. For example, in the Cartesian plane, the Euclidean distance between two points is defined as the shortest path joining them, but the Taxicab distance between them is the shortest path if you 'move' from one to the other only along the 'roads' or lines parallel to the axes.






              share|cite|improve this answer


























                0














                A distance (between two points, say) does not have to be a straight line or a shortest path -- a distance function is what you define it to be, but it has to be well-defined and unambiguous. For example, in the Cartesian plane, the Euclidean distance between two points is defined as the shortest path joining them, but the Taxicab distance between them is the shortest path if you 'move' from one to the other only along the 'roads' or lines parallel to the axes.






                share|cite|improve this answer
























                  0












                  0








                  0






                  A distance (between two points, say) does not have to be a straight line or a shortest path -- a distance function is what you define it to be, but it has to be well-defined and unambiguous. For example, in the Cartesian plane, the Euclidean distance between two points is defined as the shortest path joining them, but the Taxicab distance between them is the shortest path if you 'move' from one to the other only along the 'roads' or lines parallel to the axes.






                  share|cite|improve this answer












                  A distance (between two points, say) does not have to be a straight line or a shortest path -- a distance function is what you define it to be, but it has to be well-defined and unambiguous. For example, in the Cartesian plane, the Euclidean distance between two points is defined as the shortest path joining them, but the Taxicab distance between them is the shortest path if you 'move' from one to the other only along the 'roads' or lines parallel to the axes.







                  share|cite|improve this answer












                  share|cite|improve this answer



                  share|cite|improve this answer










                  answered Oct 5 '14 at 13:53









                  shardulcshardulc

                  3,666927




                  3,666927






























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