All corrections
www.lesswrong.com/posts/gBtGLsqshdTdis7Yn/how-bad-would-it-be-if-gps-satellites-...
1 correction found
1
Claim
triangulate your position
Correction
GPS determines position by trilateration, not triangulation.
Full reasoning
This is a common mix-up, but the geometry is different. GPS receivers determine position from distances to satellites, which is trilateration. Official GPS.gov educational material explicitly describes GPS positioning as relying on trilateration—"positioning from three distances"—rather than triangulation.
1 source
- Trilateration | GPS.gov
GPS positioning works on two basic mathematical concepts. The first is called trilateration, which literally means positioning from three distances... Trilateration is determining a position by knowing your distance from at least 3 known points.