hi!!
i dunno how but m a little confused regarding great circles and small circles.
The shortest path between two points on a plane is a straight line. However, on the surface of a sphere there are no straight lines. Instead, the shortest distance between any two points on a sphere is a segment of a circle.Ok.
So between 2 points where a great circle ain't formed,we have a small circle.
Now the smaller arc of this small circle would be the shortest distance between these 2 points.
so y do we say that only the great circle distance is the shortest distance between 2 points,
Shouldn't it be that a circular distance(great circle or small circle) represents the shortest distance.
thnx in advance