What is the algorithm for finding the nearest point on an arc (closest to the original)?

Question

Mathematics

An arc is given and a point P is somewhere nearby. You need to find the point on the arc closest to P. Interested in at least some clue how to find it.

Answer 1

I think the desired point will be calculated based on min(PA, PN, PB), where PA is the distance from point P to point A (beginning of the arc), PB is the distance from point P to point B (end of the arc), PN is the distance from point P to the arc along the normal (perpendicular dropped from the point P to the arc), if it exists