Circle line-segment collision detection algorithm?

Question

I have a line from A to B and a circle positioned at C with the radius R.

What is a good alg

Answer 1

Another one in c# (partial Circle class). Tested and works like a charm.

public class Circle : IEquatable
{
    // ******************************************************************
    // The center of a circle
    private Point _center;
    // The radius of a circle
    private double _radius;

   // ******************************************************************
    /// 

    /// Find all intersections (0, 1, 2) of the circle with a line defined by its 2 points.
    /// Using: http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/228841/how-do-i-calculate-the-intersections-of-a-straight-line-and-a-circle
    /// Note: p is the Center.X and q is Center.Y
    /// 
    /// 
    /// 
    /// 
    public List GetIntersections(Point linePoint1, Point linePoint2)
    {
        List intersections = new List();

        double dx = linePoint2.X - linePoint1.X;

        if (dx.AboutEquals(0)) // Straight vertical line
        {
            if (linePoint1.X.AboutEquals(Center.X - Radius) || linePoint1.X.AboutEquals(Center.X + Radius))
            {
                Point pt = new Point(linePoint1.X, Center.Y);
                intersections.Add(pt);
            }
            else if (linePoint1.X > Center.X - Radius && linePoint1.X < Center.X + Radius)
            {
                double x = linePoint1.X - Center.X;

                Point pt = new Point(linePoint1.X, Center.Y + Math.Sqrt(Radius * Radius - (x * x)));
                intersections.Add(pt);

                pt = new Point(linePoint1.X, Center.Y - Math.Sqrt(Radius * Radius - (x * x)));
                intersections.Add(pt);
            }

            return intersections;
        }

        // Line function (y = mx + b)
        double dy = linePoint2.Y - linePoint1.Y;
        double m = dy / dx;
        double b = linePoint1.Y - m * linePoint1.X;

        double A = m * m + 1;
        double B = 2 * (m * b - m * _center.Y - Center.X);
        double C = Center.X * Center.X + Center.Y * Center.Y - Radius * Radius - 2 * b * Center.Y + b * b;

        double discriminant = B * B - 4 * A * C;

        if (discriminant < 0)
        {
            return intersections; // there is no intersections
        }

        if (discriminant.AboutEquals(0)) // Tangeante (touch on 1 point only)
        {
            double x = -B / (2 * A);
            double y = m * x + b;

            intersections.Add(new Point(x, y));
        }
        else // Secant (touch on 2 points)
        {
            double x = (-B + Math.Sqrt(discriminant)) / (2 * A);
            double y = m * x + b;
            intersections.Add(new Point(x, y));

            x = (-B - Math.Sqrt(discriminant)) / (2 * A);
            y = m * x + b;
            intersections.Add(new Point(x, y));
        }

        return intersections;
    }

    // ******************************************************************
    // Get the center
    [XmlElement("Center")]
    public Point Center
    {
        get { return _center; }
        set
        {
            _center = value;
        }
    }

    // ******************************************************************
    // Get the radius
    [XmlElement]
    public double Radius
    {
        get { return _radius; }
        set { _radius = value; }
    }

    //// ******************************************************************
    //[XmlArrayItemAttribute("DoublePoint")]
    //public List Coordinates
    //{
    //    get { return _coordinates; }
    //}

    // ******************************************************************
    // Construct a circle without any specification
    public Circle()
    {
        _center.X = 0;
        _center.Y = 0;
        _radius = 0;
    }

    // ******************************************************************
    // Construct a circle without any specification
    public Circle(double radius)
    {
        _center.X = 0;
        _center.Y = 0;
        _radius = radius;
    }

    // ******************************************************************
    // Construct a circle with the specified circle
    public Circle(Circle circle)
    {
        _center = circle._center;
        _radius = circle._radius;
    }

    // ******************************************************************
    // Construct a circle with the specified center and radius
    public Circle(Point center, double radius)
    {
        _center = center;
        _radius = radius;
    }

    // ******************************************************************
    // Construct a circle based on one point
    public Circle(Point center)
    {
        _center = center;
        _radius = 0;
    }

    // ******************************************************************
    // Construct a circle based on two points
    public Circle(Point p1, Point p2)
    {
        Circle2Points(p1, p2);
    }

Required:

using System;

namespace Mathematic
{
    public static class DoubleExtension
    {
        // ******************************************************************
        // Base on Hans Passant Answer on:
        // http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2411392/double-epsilon-for-equality-greater-than-less-than-less-than-or-equal-to-gre

        /// 

        /// Compare two double taking in account the double precision potential error.
        /// Take care: truncation errors accumulate on calculation. More you do, more you should increase the epsilon.
        public static bool AboutEquals(this double value1, double value2)
        {
            if (double.IsPositiveInfinity(value1))
                return double.IsPositiveInfinity(value2);

            if (double.IsNegativeInfinity(value1))
                return double.IsNegativeInfinity(value2);

            if (double.IsNaN(value1))
                return double.IsNaN(value2);

            double epsilon = Math.Max(Math.Abs(value1), Math.Abs(value2)) * 1E-15;
            return Math.Abs(value1 - value2) <= epsilon;
        }

        // ******************************************************************
        // Base on Hans Passant Answer on:
        // http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2411392/double-epsilon-for-equality-greater-than-less-than-less-than-or-equal-to-gre

        /// 

        /// Compare two double taking in account the double precision potential error.
        /// Take care: truncation errors accumulate on calculation. More you do, more you should increase the epsilon.
        /// You get really better performance when you can determine the contextual epsilon first.
        /// 
        /// 
        /// 
        /// 
        /// 
        public static bool AboutEquals(this double value1, double value2, double precalculatedContextualEpsilon)
        {
            if (double.IsPositiveInfinity(value1))
                return double.IsPositiveInfinity(value2);

            if (double.IsNegativeInfinity(value1))
                return double.IsNegativeInfinity(value2);

            if (double.IsNaN(value1))
                return double.IsNaN(value2);

            return Math.Abs(value1 - value2) <= precalculatedContextualEpsilon;
        }

        // ******************************************************************
        public static double GetContextualEpsilon(this double biggestPossibleContextualValue)
        {
            return biggestPossibleContextualValue * 1E-15;
        }

        // ******************************************************************
        /// 

        /// Mathlab equivalent
        /// 
        /// 
        /// 
        /// 
        public static double Mod(this double dividend, double divisor)
        {
            return dividend - System.Math.Floor(dividend / divisor) * divisor;
        }

        // ******************************************************************
    }
}