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Least‐Squares Mapping Using Interpoint Distances
Author(s) -
Rohlf F. James,
Archie James W.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1936638
Subject(s) - triangulation , least squares function approximation , mathematics , space (punctuation) , statistics , computer science , geometry , estimator , operating system
A new method for the mapping of the relative locations of organisms as points in a 2—dimensional space is presented. The proposed method is based on a least—squares estimate of the coordinates using observed distances between the objects being mapped (rather than triangulation based on horizontal angles). Only a small subset of the possible interpoint distances need be measured in order to obtain a very accurate map. The method is applied to 3 problems in mapping of trees in a forest.