[SciPy-User] point-curve distance estimation or calculation

[Robert Kern]

On Wed, Jun 2, 2010 at 08:05, Matthieu Rigal <rigal at rapideye.de> wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> This is my first message on the scipy-user list. I post it here because I
> wanna try do the most out of it using numpy and scipy and I hope it is not
> too far from the initial scope. I couldn't finda solution to it on the
> Internet.
>
> First I have two sets of data. I am doing several leastsq optimizations.
> for linear y=ax+b, I know how to handle the rest, for second order or more,
> it is more difficult.
>
> In the y = ax²+bx+c case, I know have a curve. I want to calculate or
> estimate the distance between each point (combination of two data sets)
> and the curve.

This is precisely the Orthogonal Distance Regression problem solved by
scipy.odr.

  http://docs.scipy.org/doc/scipy/reference/odr.html

The ODRPACK User's Guide referenced is available here:

  http://www.mechanicalkern.com/static/odrpack_guide.pdf

-- 
Robert Kern

"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless
enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as
though it had an underlying truth."
  -- Umberto Eco