great circle arc

plural great circle arcs

1. alternativeAlternative form of great-circle arc.

   If the string is gradually pulled tight, it begins to assume the position of what appears to be a great circle arc PAQ.

   2011, David C. Kay, College Geometry: A Unified Development, CRC Press, →ISBN, page 569

   2 more examples

   For example, a great circle arc on a given sphere is the shortest curve joining its end points if the arc consists of less than half a circle, ...

   2012, I. M. Gelfand, S. V. Fomin, Calculus of Variations, Courier Corporation, →ISBN

   The shortest distance between these two points is the great circle arc XY which is a part of the spherical triangle NXY.

   1985, Robin M. Green, Robin Michael Green, Spherical Astronomy, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 14