THE FIXATION OF MINOR TRIANGULATION ON THE TRANSVERSE MERCATOR PROJECTION

Abstract

The fixation of Minor Triangulation in a Primary system does not, in general, warrant rigorous adjustments of figures; less laborious methods are desirable. For Secondary work a least square adjustment to approximate coordinates is quite sufficient, while, for Tertiary, graphical solutions are amply accurate. Apart from that, cases may arise to which a figure adjustment is not applicable, as in the small net shown in Fig. 2, p. 464. The line BC cannot be equated to the line AB in the ordinary way since it is not the side of a triangle. In this case an adjustment to approxima te coordina tes will overcome the difficulty.     

TRAVERSE ADJUSTMENT: WHY NOT LEAST SQUARES?

Abstract

In the above article by Mr H. L. P. Jolly published in a previous issue (E.S.R., vol. iv, no. 28) the author, after referring to the precision of the Nigerian traverses, makes the statement that measurements of the highest accuracy are worthy of the best possible methods of adjustment. But this argument cuts both ways. For in general the greater the accuracy of measurement the smaller will be the ultimate misclosure to be eliminated; so that different methods of adjustment will produce smaller and smaller variations in the corrections, until in the limit when there is no error we should obtain the same result however much latitude we permitted in the adjustment.     

DIRECTIONS AND ANGLES IN A SIMPLE CHAIN

Abstract

Mr. Rainsford's article on “Least Square Adjustments of Triangulation: Directions versus Angles” in the Empire Survey Review No. 78, Vol. x, October 1950, leads to many speculations and interesting results. I try to show here, how, by assuming artifices to simplify the results, weights may be assigned to angles derived from directions so that the results of adjustment by angles, with these weights, will be the same as the adjustment by directions, all of equal weight.     

MINOR TRIANGULATION ON THE TRANSVERSE MERCATOR PROJECTION

Abstract

In a previous article in this Review, the writer endeavoured to show that chains of minor triangulation could be adjusted by plane rectangular co-ordinates ignoring the spherical form of the earth with little loss of accuracy, provided that the two ends were held fixed in position. It was demonstrated that the plane co-ordinates produced by the rigorous adjustment between the fixed starting and closing sides, differ by only a comparatively small amount from the projection co-ordinates produced by a rigorous adjustment on the Transverse Mercator projection. The saving in time when computing by plane co-ordinates as opposed to rigorous computation on the projection by any method will be apparent to any computer with experience of both methods.     

ELIMINATION OF ERRORS OF LATITUDE AND REFRACTION IN THE PAIRING OF AZIMUTH OBSERVATIONS

Abstract

In a previous Article (Empire Survey Review, ii, II) I described a simple graphical method for the elimination of latitude error in observations for azimuth. It was pointed out that the ideal method of adjustment of azimuths would be a simultaneous elimination of both latitude and refraction errors and, with that in view, a purely theoretical method of such an adjustment was demonstrated in the last paragraph of the article. It has now occurred to me that a fairly simple mathematical solution is possible.     

TRIGONOMETRICAL HEIGHTS AND THE COEFFICIENT OF TERRESTRIAL REFRACTION

Abstract

Mr. A. J. Morley has contributed a series of articles in the Review (E.S.R., iv, 23, 16; iv, 25, 136 and vi, 40, 76) on the adjustment of trigonometrical levels and the evaluation of the coefficient of terrestrial refraction with a view to ascertaining how other Colonies and Dominions deal with these problems. This object is very commendable as several problems concerning both the observational and theoretical sides arise in height determinations, regarding which there is not much guidance in the usual treatises on the subject.     

ADJUSTMENT OF SIMPLE FIGURES—II

Abstract

3. Adjustment of a Polygon.—The adjustment of a polygon by the method of the preceding paragraph leads to results similar to that for a quadrilateral, although not quite so simple, since there are two correlatives, k₁ k₂ , for deducing the corrections.     

ON THE ORTHOMORPHIC PROPERTY OF SCHOLS ADJUSTMENT

Abstract

In vol. iv, nos. 29 and 30, of the E.S.R., there appeared an article by Mr. D. R. Hendrikz on the “Adjustment of the Secondary Triangulation of South Africa”. He shows that, in applying the Schols method of orthomorphic transmission to the adjustment of a secondary net to a primary triangle, the secondary sides suffer small displacements.     

NORMAL EQUATIONS RESOLVED BY APPROXIMATION

Abstract

We are indebted to Professor R. V. Southwell for the approximate method of computation known as the systematic relaxation of constraints. In an article to the Empire Survey Review, 1938, Mr A. N. Black showed how Southwell's ideas could be applied to the adjustment of the co-ordinates of a point.     

LEAST-SQUARE ADJUSTMENTS OF TRIANGULATION DIRECTIONS VERSUS ANGLES

Abstract

IT has been assumed in the past that because angles for triangulation are usually observed by the direction method, therefore it must be more correct theoretically to perform the least-square adjustments by directions rather than by angles. It is fairly obvious that an adjustment of the same figure by directions will not give the same result as an adjustment by angles: the unknowns in each case are different and the number of directions is usually about 25 per cent. greater than the number of angles for the same figure. Strictly, the least square method is only applicable to observations from which all systematic errors have been eliminated, and in which the remaining errors are truly accidental. It is generally safe to assume that most survey errOlS consist of a random and a systematic part. Rarely, if ever, is it possible to state that all systematic error has been eliminated, strive how we may to take all precautions against it.     

RELAXATION AND THE CO-ORDINATE METHOD OF TRIANGULATION ADJUSTMENT

Abstract

Few, most certainly, will dispute the value of Mr Black's paper describing a method of “Systematic Relaxation”, which appeared in a previous number of this Review. At the same time, however, it seems to the writer to be only fair to readers to point out that the application of the method to triangulation adjustment is really a treatment, from a slightly different aspect, of methods that have long been established.     

TRAVERSES—AND OTHER THINGS

Abstract

In the last numbers of the Review there have been five contributions on the subject of traverse adjustment. Since the present writer started the ball rolling it may be permissible to him to make a rejoinder.     

DISTORTING A NETWORK TO FIT CONTROL POINTS: AN ALTERNATIVE EXPRESSION FOR THE SCHOLS ADJUSTMENT

Abstract

Another form of Mr. Lauf's expression for a conformal adjustment of a system of coordinated points may be of interest. These are assumed to be already in harmony with i control points and are to be brought into agreement with j further points. (Mr. Lauf deals explicitly in his paper with the special case i = 2, j = 1, but he adumbrates a general solution.)     

Mixed Integer-Real Valued Adjustment (IRA) Problems: GPS Initial Cycle Ambiguity Resolution by Means of the LLL Algorithm

In order to achieve to GPS solutions of first-order accuracy and integrity, carrier phase observations as well as pseudorange observations have to be adjusted with respect to a linear/linearized model. Here the problem of mixed integer-real valued parameter adjustment (IRA) is met. Indeed, integer cycle ambiguity unknowns have to be estimated and tested. At first we review the three concepts to deal with IRA: (i) DDD or triple difference observations are produced by a properly chosen difference operator and choice of basis, namely being free of integer-valued unknowns (ii) The real-valued unknown parameters are eliminated by a Gauss elimination step while the remaining integer-valued unknown parameters (initial cycle ambiguities) are determined by Quadratic Programming and (iii) a RA substitute model is firstly implemented (real-valued estimates of initial cycle ambiguities) and secondly a minimum distance map is designed which operates on the real-valued approximation of integers with respect to the integer data in a lattice. This is the place where the integer Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization by means of the LLL algorithm (modified LLL algorithm) is applied being illustrated by four examples. In particular, we prove that in general it is impossible to transform an oblique base of a lattice to an orthogonal base by Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization where its matrix enties are integer. The volume preserving Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization operator constraint to integer entries produces “almost orthogonal” bases which, in turn, can be used to produce the integer-valued unknown parameters (initial cycle ambiguities) from the LLL algorithm (modified LLL algorithm). Systematic errors generated by “almost orthogonal” lattice bases are quantified by A. K. Lenstra et al. (1982) as well as M. Pohst (1987). The solution point of Integer Least Squares generated by the LLL algorithm is = (L')⁻¹[L'◯] ∈ ℤ ^m where L is the lower triangular Gram-Schmidt matrix rounded to nearest integers, [L], and = [L'◯] are the nearest integers of L'◯, ◯ being the real valued approximation of z ∈ ℤ ^m , the m-dimensional lattice space Λ. Indeed due to “almost orthogonality” of the integer Gram-Schmidt procedure, the solution point is only suboptimal, only close to “least squares.” ? 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A generalisation of the least-squares method for the adjustment of free networks

Summary The system of normal equations for the adjustment of a free network is a singular one. Therefore, a number of coordinates has to be fixed according to the matrix. The mean square errors and the error ellipses of such an adjustment are dependent on this choice. This paper gives a simple, direct method for the adjustment of free networks, where no coordinates need to be fixed. This is done by minimizing not only the sum of the squares of the weighted errorsV ^T PV=minimun but also the Euclidean norm of the vectorX and of the covariance matrixQ X ^T X=minimum trace (Q)=minimum This last condition is crucial for geodetic problems of this type.     

LEAST SQUARES ADJUSTMENTS OF TRIANGULATION: DIRECTIONS VERSUS ANGLES

Abstract

This paper continues the discussion started in an article of the same title (E.S.R., ×, 78, :353-66), on which a further letter was written in October, 1952. The amount of computation required originally was very considerable, and it was obviously impossible to publish it all. The recent letter was necessary to answer the suggestion that the agreement between errors put in and corrections obtained from the L.S. solution was not very close. It seemed sufficient to give the list of errors and corrections, leaving readers to judge for themselves. The correlation coefficient from the two sets of figures was 0.78, which looked quiteg90d. Unfortunately, it was not realized before that corrections from a L.S. solution cannot, legitimately, be compared with errors put in on directions unless a station correction is first applied to the errors to make the sum of the errors at each station equal to zero. This is one of the points about the direction method of adjustment which is not very easy to understand.     

Statistical analysis of refractive index through the troposphere and the stratosphere

The main environmental problem in tracking a satellite through the atmosphere is in finding the most probable value of the mean refractive index. In this paper, the mean refractive index is computed as a four-part model. The troposphere is treated as one altitude range from sea level to 9 kilometers, and the stratosphere is divided into three altitude ranges, 9 to 18, 18 to 27, and 27 to 36 kilometers. At 36 kilometers, the N-value is approximately equal to two and reduces rapidly to zero. By the use of theEssen formula in radio wave application and the modifiedKohlrausch formula in light wave application, point-to-point values of the refractive index are computed through these altitude ranges. The polynomial expansion of second order from the basic exponential function is selected as the model, and the curve-fitting adjustments of the computed values are established separately to each altitude range to obtain coefficients A, B, and C. A model based on the U. S. Standard Atmosphere, 1962, is used as the reference to which four sets of actual soundings made in Lihue, Hawaii and Fairbanks, Alaska on February 3 and July 2, 1966, are compared. The results show that the parabolic adjustment has a very high reliability. In the use of standard atmosphere, the standard error of the refractive index through the total altitude range of 0 to 36 kilometers, and at the 70° zenith distance, equal only ±7 millimeters when radio waves are utilized, and ±3 millimeters when light waves are utilized. Paper presented at Conference on Refraction Effects in Geodesy and Electronic Distance Measurement, University of New South Wales, 5–8 November 1968. Hawaii Institute of Geophysics Contribution No. 239.     

ON OBSERVATIONS AND ADJUSTMENT

Abstract

The subdivision of methods of adjustment of observations as given in textbooks is usually asfollows: (1) The method of direct observations; (2) The method of indirect observations; (3) The method of conditioned observations.     

FORMULAE FOR THE ADJUSTMENT OF SURVEY ERRORS

Abstract

The formulae given in this paper can be used for a station adjustment at a trigonometric station and also for the adjustment of errors in a level survey. As applied to levelling, the problem consists in finding the most probable values of the reduced levels of a number of points where the observed level differences between the points are not consistent with each other. It can be shown that the required values of the reduced levels are those which reduce the sum of the squares of the residual errors to a minimum, where the residual error is defined as the difference between the calculated and observed levels.     

A universal formula of maximum likelihood estimation of variance-covariance components

The derivation of a universal formula for the variance-covariance component estimation is discussed. The formula is derived adopting the universal functional model (the condition adjustment with unknown parameters and constraints among the parameters),and is based on the maximum likelihood principle. The derived formula in this paper can be applied to all adjustment models for estimating variance-covariance components, which expands the formulas given by K. Kubik (1970)and K. R. Koch (1986).Besides, it is proved that the estimator given in this paper is equivalent to that of Helmert type and best quadratic unbiased estimation (BQUE).