The Role of Coordinates in Geodesy and Geometry

Abstract

In the application of the tensor calculus and differential geometry to physical problems, coordinates play a ubiquitous role. One is accustomed to think almost automatically in terms of them. However, their meaning — either geometrically or physically speaking — is seldom immediately apparent. Indeed, their mathematical existence, and physical measurability often pose questions of equal difficulty. Such questions underlie the fundamental notions concerning differential geodesy, and in this preliminary section we propose to discuss various viewpoints and suggest what we believe is a realistic approach.