Definition:Minor Arc
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Definition
Let $a$ and $b$ be points on the boundary $\BB$ of a simple closed curve $\CC$ in the plane.
Let $a$ and $b$ divide $\BB$ into unequal parts.
The shorter of the arcs described by $a$ and $b$ is referred to as the minor arc of $\BB$.
Minor Arc of Circle
Let $a$ and $b$ be two points on the circumference of a circle.
The minor arc joining $a$ and $b$ is the shorter of the two arcs joining $a$ and $b$.
In the above diagram:
- the arc $EF$ is the minor arc defined by $E$ and $F$
- the arc $BC$ is the minor arc defined by $B$ and $C$.
and so on.
Also known as
The minor arc of a simple closed curve with respect to two points is also known as the short arc.
Also see
- Results about minor arcs can be found here.
Sources
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): arc: 1.
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): arc: 1.