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Geometry of GPS relative positioning

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Abstract

GPS positioning is often assimilated to trilateration and even to triangulation methods. Both comparisons are wrong because GPS observations are pseudoranges containing clock errors. The geometric interpretations of GPS relative positioning and trilateration method are presented. Receiver clock parameter is also analyzed from a geometric point of view. The generalization of positioning solutions is made without and with observations redundancy. The geometry of the propagation of systematic errors into positioning solutions is also shown, especially the tropospheric (and the ionospheric) delay.

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Acknowledgements

The first author would like to acknowledge NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) for financial support of his GPS research.

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Correspondence to R. Santerre.

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Santerre, R., Geiger, A. Geometry of GPS relative positioning. GPS Solut 22, 50 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10291-018-0713-2

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