Acta Geodaetica et Cartographica Sinica ›› 2024, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (9): 1790-1798.doi: 10.11947/j.AGCS.2024.20230546

• Geodesy and Navigation • Previous Articles    

General series expansion and mathematical analysis of the direct solution of meridian arc length

Dongquan ZHOU1,2(), Shaofeng BIAN2(), Xiaoying HUANG3   

  1. 1.School of Geography and Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430078, China
    2.Key Laboratory of Geological Survey and Evaluation of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China
    3.Department of Operational Research and Programing, Naval University of Engineering, Wuhan 430033, China
  • Received:2023-12-05 Published:2024-10-16
  • Contact: Shaofeng BIAN E-mail:1431645283@qq.com;sfbian@sina.com
  • About author:ZHOU Dongquan (1999—), male, master, majors in ellipsoidal geodesy. E-mail: 1431645283@qq.com
  • Supported by:
    The National Natural Science Foundation of China(42342024);The Opening fund of Key Laboratory of Geological Survey and Evaluation of Ministry of Education(GLAB2024ZR05)

Abstract:

The meridian arc length formula is usually expressed as a series expansion of the geodesic latitude B, whose coefficients are parameterized by first eccentricity e. In this paper, the formula is rederived using third flattening n and expressed as three forms of trigonometric functions: multiple angle form, exponential form, and double dangle form.The denominator value in each coefficient in the rederived formula is obviously smaller, and the individual higher-order term coefficients disappear, with a simple structure and concise form. Based on this, the truncation error analysis of the 8th-order and 10th-order expanded formulas of the three representations shows that the accuracy of the 8th-order expanded formulas of the three representations is at least millimeters, which can satisfy the daily use scenarios, while the accuracy of the 10th-order expanded formulas has been improved by at least two orders of magnitude, which can satisfy the high-precision use scenarios. Under the high-precision use scenario, the meridian arc length formulas of different representations have different practicality, and the analysis shows that the exponential form of trigonometric function is recommended at the low latitude of 0°N—30°N, double angle form of trigonometric function is recommended at the middle latitude of 30°N—55°N, and the multiple angle form of trigonometric function is recommended at the high latitude of 55°N—90°N.

Key words: meridian arc length, third flattening, mathematical analysis, regional analysis

CLC Number: