triangulatie

Triangulatie (triangulation) is a method for determining a point’s position or a shape’s geometry by the properties of triangles. It typically uses a baseline of known length and measured angles to compute unknown distances or coordinates. The approach relies on the fact that, from two distinct viewpoints, lines of sight form intersecting triangles that constrain the location of the target. Triangulation is distinct from trilateration, which uses distances rather than angles.

In surveying, triangulation is used to establish networks of control points over large areas. Surveyors measure angles at a series of linked triangles, compute side lengths from the baseline, and propagate coordinates across the network. This approach supported mapmaking and geospatial reference systems before the advent of satellite technology. Modern techniques may integrate GPS data with triangulation networks.

In computer graphics, triangulation refers to dividing a polygon into triangles to enable rendering and modeling. Algorithms such as ear clipping or constrained Delaunay triangulation produce non-overlapping triangles that approximate complex shapes. In GIS, triangulation yields surface representations like triangulated irregular networks (TINs), which model terrain by connected triangles.

Triangulation is also a methodological concept in social sciences and engineering. Data triangulation combines information from multiple sources, investigators, or methods to improve validity. The term encompasses data triangulation (different data sources), investigator triangulation (different researchers), theory triangulation (multiple theoretical perspectives), and methodological triangulation (mixed methods).

Outside mapping and research, triangulation appears in astronomy and navigation as a way to estimate distances from parallax or from multiple observers, and in positioning systems where angle-based measurements are fused to locate a point.