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Given a line L in three-dimensional Cartesian space and a point P that is not in line L.

Assume that we trace a path from the point to the line by three axis-parallel segments, one segment along each dimension.

What is the point Q in line L so that the sum of segment lengths is minimal?

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Let the axes be X, Y and Z, and consider the 3 planes through P parallel respectively to the X and Y, X and Z, and Y and Z axes.

Let P(XY) be the point, if any, where L meets the XY plane, and S(XY) be the sum of the lengths of the two segments joining P and P(XY) in the X and Y dimensions. Define P(XZ), P(YZ), S(XZ) and S(YX) similarly. If L does not meet any one of the planes (ie it is parallel to the plane), ignore that plane.

Now let A and B be the axes such that S(AB) is the least of S(XY), S(XZ) and S(YZ). The corresponding point P(AB) is then the point Q in L that minimises the sum of the segment lengths from P.

To see that the sum of the segment lengths from P to any other point on L will be larger, note that, since L is linear, any such sum will be a positive linear combination of S(XY), S(XZ) and S(YZ), and therefore larger than the smallest of the three.