Formula for Calculating Distance Between Geographic Coordinates with Code Implementation

This program calculates the distance between two geographic coordinate points defined by their latitude and longitude. Key technical components include: Earth's radius as a fundamental constant (approximately 6371 kilometers), conversion methods from degrees to radians, and mathematical formulas for distance calculation. Earth's radius represents half the equatorial circumference and serves as the baseline for spherical calculations. Degree-to-radian conversion is essential since trigonometric functions in programming languages typically operate with radians. The implementation commonly employs either the Haversine formula or Vincenty formula - both leveraging spherical trigonometry principles. The Haversine formula uses the haversine function to calculate great-circle distances with an accuracy suitable for most applications, while Vincenty's formula provides higher precision for ellipsoidal Earth models. Code implementation typically involves:

1. Converting latitude/longitude coordinates from degrees to radians 2. Applying trigonometric functions (sin, cos, atan2) for angular calculations 3. Implementing the chosen formula with proper error handling 4. Returning results in standardized units (kilometers/miles) Key programming considerations include handling coordinate validation, edge cases (antipodal points), and selecting appropriate numerical precision. Understanding spherical geometry fundamentals ensures accurate distance computations between global coordinates.