NavList:

   

Reply

I have put together an Excel spreadsheet that demonstrates the use of complex 
numbers in calculations performed in celestial navigation. The examples are 
taken from the paper Applications of Complex Analysis to Celestial 
Navigation, available at http://www.fer3.com/arc/img/110015.articlec.pdf.

Each sheet consists of three sections; Inputs, Calculations, Results. The 
values of the Inputs are initially set to those that appear in the paper, 
above, and confirm the results that appearing therein. The inputs may be 
changed to perform the same calculations for other sets of observations.

The spreadsheet uses the Excel Engineering functions IMSUM(), IMPRODUCT() etc. 
to the perform the complex number calculations. To ensure that these are 
available to the system, on the Excel toolbar select Tools>Addins and check 
"Analysis ToolPak".

The Excel implementation using functions IMSUM(), IMPRODUCT() etc. to perform 
arithmetic operations on complex numbers means that formulas that appear here 
are less compact and transparent than they are in computer languages, such as 
FORTRAN, C++, PERL, in which complex numbers are a built in native data type.

Robin Stuart

-- 
NavList message boards: www.fer3.com/arc
Or post by email to: NavList@fer3.com
To , email NavList+@fer3.com

   

Reply