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Algorithm to Calculate the area of a 2D polygon

I have two arrays, storing the x and y values of the polygon.

I wish to use these values to calculate the area of the polygon.

The polygon is a simple, concave 2d polygon.

Can someone possibly direct me to how I may achieve this.

Many Thanks.

ozo

|(x[0]*y[1]-x[1]*y[0]+x[1]*y[2]-x[2]*y[1]+x[2]*y[3]-x[3]*y[2]+...+x[n]*y[0]-x[0]*y[n])/2|

stats786

ASKER

I tried implementing a quick test of what you suggested, but I don't get the values I expect. Can you spot what I'm doing wrong. Thanks.

import java.lang.Math.*;

public class areaTest
{
      //Test Values

      //square - expected area = 8
      //static double[] polyX = { 1.0, 3.0, 3.0, 1.0, 1.0};
      //static double[] polyY = { 1.0, 1.0, 3.0, 3.0, 1.0};

      //triangle - expected area = 10.5
      static double[] polyX = { 1.0, 4.0, 1.0, 1.0};
      static double[] polyY = { 1.0, 4.0, 8.0, 1.0};


      public static void main (String args[])
      {

            double test = calcArea(polyX, polyY);
            System.out.println( test );

      }



      public static double calcArea(double xVals[],double yVals[])
      {

            int i;
            double area = 0;
            double mag;

            for(i=0;i<xVals.length;i++)
            {
                  System.out.println(i);
                  //System.out.println(xVals[i]);

                  area = area + (xVals[i]*yVals[0])-(xVals[0]*yVals[i]);

            }


            area = area/2;

            mag= Math.abs(area);

            return mag;

      }

}

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ozo

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stats786

ASKER

Thank you very much for that.

Is'nt the formula you've implemented using the following rhetoric:

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/PolygonArea.html

?

ozo

Yes.