who is behind the theory."the shortest distance between 2 points is a curved line? And is it feasible?

Answer 1

Sure - it's in Riemannian geometry (Bernhard Riemann 19th C). If the two points are on the surface of a sphere it's quite feasible. Check out the references below for more info.

Answer 2

I think the idea of this is that space is inherently curved (as mentioned by another responder) and so what we perceive as a straight line, isn't.

However, you can see a representation of this sort of behaviour by using the surface of the earth. If you have a map of the United States, you might think that the shortest route that a plane could take from New York to Los Angeles would be represented by a straight line connecting them. However, this is not necessarily so.

The shortest route actually lies on the 'great circle' which connects those two points. The 'great circle' is can be seen as the rim of a disc that goes through the two points and also the centre of the earth. The diameter of the disc is therefore the diameter of the earth.

For the lines of latitude, only the equator is a great circle. If you go further north, the shortest distance between two points on the same latitude would actually appear to be a curved line if plotted on a flat map, which usually has horizontal, parallel lines of latitude. The great circle line would gently curve above the latitude line, and then back down again.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Well, Einstein, really.
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line + space-time is a curve= all lines are curves.

Unless you're talking about points on a sphere, which is a geodesic, and then, if and only if I recall correctly, you're talking Riemann.

Answer 4

traveling north is the shortest distance