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.