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Questions tagged [brachistochrone-problem]

the problem of finding the path between two points such that the transit time under specified conditions is minimized.

7 votes
1 answer
1k views

What shape of track minimizes the time a ball takes between start and stop points of equal height?

I was at my son's high school "open house" and the physics teacher did a demo with two curtain rail tracks and two ball bearings. One track was straight and on a slight slope. The beginning and end ...
Colin Warwick's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
874 views

Brachistochrone problem for 3 points

I wonder how I can solve the Brachistochrone problem for 3 points? The matter starts from point A that is the highest point and it must pass from B and must finish with point C. (No any friction in ...
Mathlover's user avatar
  • 521
5 votes
2 answers
4k views

Path to obtain the shortest traveling time

Asume we have a particle sitting at the point A(0,0) in a gravitational field. (g=9.81) It is going to move along some path to the point B(a,b) Where a>0 and b<0. What is the curve the particle ...
N3buchadnezzar's user avatar
23 votes
2 answers
9k views

Is there an intuitive reason the brachistochrone and the tautochrone are the same curve?

The brachistochrone problem asks what shape a hill should be so a ball slides down in the least time. The tautochrone problem asks what shape yields an oscillation frequency that is independent of ...
Mark Eichenlaub's user avatar
18 votes
2 answers
1k views

Brachistochrone problem in general relativity

This question Brachistochrone Problem for Inhomogeneous Potential has the obvious extension. Namely the same question, when gravity is treated according to general relativity. To make it specific let'...
MBN's user avatar
  • 3,825
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

Brachistochrone Problem for Inhomogeneous Potential

This recent question about holes dug through the Earth led me to wonder: if I wanted to dig out a tube from the north pole to the equator and build a water slide in it, which shape would be the ...
Mark Eichenlaub's user avatar

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