When scientists collect data to be analyzed, regardless of what quantities are being measured, there are inevitably errors in the measurements. In cases where two independent variables are measured with errors, many existing techniques can produce an estimated least-squares linear fit to the data, taking into consideration the size of the errors in both variables. Yet some experiments yield data that do not only contain errors in both variables, but also a non-zero covariance between the errors. In such situations, the experiment results in measurements with error ellipses with tilts specified by the covariance terms. Following an approach suggested by Dr. Edward Robinson, Professor of Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin, this report describes a methodology that finds the estimates of linear regression parameters, as well as an estimated covariance matrix, for a dataset with tilted error ellipses. Contained in an appendix is the R code for a program that produces these estimates according to the methodology. This report describes the results of the program run on a dataset of measurements of the surface brightness and Sérsic index of galaxies in the Virgo cluster. / text

This diploma thesis deals with a positioning accuracy of global positioning system GPS and satellite augmentation system EGNOS. My thesis describes the procedure for investigation of the errors in previously mentioned global navigation satellite systems according to L10 regulation and further on an elaboration is worked out in more detail far beyond the requirements of this regulation. In the practical part, an assessment of errors on a real data sample is done, the errors are measured with using a static observation, and later a discussion is carried out on the achieved results.

Traverses Adjustment in the surface of the ellipsoid with the objectives to guarantee the solution unicity in the transport of curvilinear geodesic coordinates (latitude and longitude) and in the azimuth transport and to get the estimates of quality. It deduces the coordinate transport and the azimuth transport by mean Legendre s series of the geodesic line. This series is based on the Taylor s series, where the argument is the length of the geodesic line. For the practical applications, it has the necessity to effect the truncation of the series and to calculate the function error for the latitude, the function error for the longitude and the function error for the azimuth. In this research, these series are truncated in the derivative third and calculates the express functions error in derivative fourth. It is described the adjustment models based on the least-squares method: combined model with weighted parameters, combined model or mixed model, parametric model or observations equations and correlates model or condition equations model. The practical application is the adjustment by mean parametric model of a traverse measured by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), constituted of 8 vertices and the 129.661 km length. The localization of errors in the observations is calculated by the Baarda s data snooping test in the last iteration of the adjustment that showed some observations with error. The estimates of quality are in the variance-covariance matrices and calculate the semiaxes of the error ellipse or standard ellipse of each point by means of the spectral decomposition (or Jordan s decomposition) of the submatrices of the variance-covariance matrix of the adjusted parameters (the coordinates). It is important to note that the application of the Legendre s series is satisfactory for short distances until 40km length. The convergence of the series is fast for the adjusted coordinates, where the stopped criterion of the iterations is four decimals in the sexagesimal second arc, where it is obtained from interation second of the adjustment. / Ajustamento de linhas poligonais na superfície do elipsóide com os objetivos de garantir a unicidade de solução no transporte de coordenadas geodésicas curvilíneas (latitude ϕ e longitude λ ) e no transporte de azimute e de obter as estimativas de qualidade. Deduz o transporte de coordenadas e o transporte de azimute pelas séries de Legendre da linha geodésica. Essa série se fundamenta na série de Taylor, em que o argumento é o comprimento da linha geodésica. Para as aplicações práticas, há a necessidade de efetuar o truncamento da série e calcular a função erro para a latitude, função erro para a longitude e função erro para o azimute. Nesta pesquisa, trunca-se a série na derivada terceira e calculam-se as funções erro expressas em derivada quarta. Expõe os modelos de ajustamento fundamentados no método dos mínimos quadrados (MMQ): modelo combinado com ponderação aos parâmetros, modelo combinado ou implícito, modelo paramétrico ou das equações de observação e modelo dos correlatos ou das equações de condição. A aplicação prática é o ajustamento pelo modelo paramétrico de uma linha poligonal medida pelo Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), constituída de 8 vértices e de comprimento igual a 129,661 km. A localização de erros nas observações é efetuada pelo teste data snooping de Baarda na última etapa do ajustamento que mostrou algumas observações com erro. As estimativas de qualidade estão nas matrizes variância-covariância (MVC) e calcula-se os semieixos da elipse dos erros (ou elipse padrão) de cada ponto mediante a decomposição espectral (ou decomposição de Jordan) das submatrizes da MVC dos parâmetros (as coordenadas) ajustados. Mostra-se que a aplicação das séries de Legendre é satisfatória para distâncias curtas até 40km. A convergência da série é rápida para as coordenadas ajustadas, onde o critério de parada das iterações seja quatro decimais do segundo de arco em que se atingiu na segunda etapa do ajustamento.