1
$\begingroup$

This is a question of terminology.

Suppose we have a line segment AB in a plane. The line segment forms three "zones" in the plane, where the "middle zone" is comprised of points for which some line perpendicular to AB passes through both that point and AB.

Is there a name for this "middle zone"? I want to be able to make a concise statement such as:

Point P is _________ to / in the _________ of the line segment AB.

The reason for my asking is that I'm writing a software function which tests for this quality (I already know how to do this - that's not the question,) and I need to figure out what I should be calling this function in order for its purpose to be clear to other people.

That is, what is the name of the gray zone in this picture: gray zone name

(Normally web searches answer all my math questions, but it's hard to search what to call something!)

|cite|improve this question
$\endgroup$
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ I've added an image to your post; does it reflect your question? $\endgroup$ – wchargin Mar 24 '13 at 4:43
  • $\begingroup$ @WChargin Exactly. Thank you! $\endgroup$ – Kevin Mar 24 '13 at 4:50
2
$\begingroup$

I'm not sure if there is a term for this, but the area between two parallel lines is usually called a strip. I'd call this the 'perpendicular strip'.

|cite|improve this answer
$\endgroup$
  • $\begingroup$ That seems to suit well, thanks! $\endgroup$ – Kevin Mar 25 '13 at 21:14
0
$\begingroup$

If you want a mathematical term, I can't help you.

But, as a programmer myself, I understand the need for a memorable, intuitive method name. So, here's the first thing that comes to my mind when I see the pictorial representation: may I suggest the asteroid belt?

Asteroid belt image
(source: spacejockeyreviews.com)

Example method names would be

getAsteroidBeltRadius()
isInAsteroidBelt()

If that's too informal, I suppose belt would suffice. But asteroid belt is much more exciting.

|cite|improve this answer
$\endgroup$
  • $\begingroup$ Interesting idea, although being that it's part of a game development system, depending on the game it's being used for that could become an overload! :) Belt could work but I ended up going with strip, since belt might connote a curved form. $\endgroup$ – Kevin Mar 25 '13 at 21:12

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.