function area = triangle_area_2d ( t )

%*****************************************************************************80
%
%% TRIANGLE_AREA_2D computes the area of a triangle in 2D.
%
%  Licensing:
%
%    This code is distributed under the GNU LGPL license.
%
%  Modified:
%
%    28 January 2005
%
%  Author:
%
%    John Burkardt
%
%  Parameters:
%
%    Input, real T(2,3), the triangle vertices.
%
%    Output, real AREA, the absolute area of the triangle.
%
  area = 0.5 * abs ( ...
      t(1,1) * ( t(2,2) - t(2,3) ) ...
    + t(1,2) * ( t(2,3) - t(2,1) ) ...
    + t(1,3) * ( t(2,1) - t(2,2) ) );

  return
end
