Problem 450. What is the distance from point P(x,y) to the line Ax + By + C = 0?

Given a point, P(x,y), find the distance from this point to a linear line.

INPUTS: x, y, A, B, C

OUTPUTS: d, the distance which of course should always be positive.

EX:
>>x=2; y=2; A=2; B=2; C=-4;
>>d = normalLen(x,y,A,B,C)
d = 1.4142

Solve

Last Solution submitted on Jul 06, 2020

Claudio Gelmi on 23 Jan 2013

There is a mistake with the solution of Test #3. Ans should be 7.40. Please check.

Alfonso Nieto-Castanon on 25 Jan 2013

note: this is the wrong formula (x=0;y=12345;A=0;B=1;C=0 should return 12345, not 1...)

Peter Wittenberg on 2 Sep 2012

Come on, Amitava - you don't need to game the solution.

distance orthogonal pythagoras