Brachistochrone

Introduction

To find the shape of the curve which the time is shortest possible. . .

Theory

Variational Calculus and Euler--Lagrange Equation

The time from $P_{a}$ to $P_{b}$ is $t=\int _{P_{a}}^{P_{b}}{\frac {1}{v}}ds$ where $ds={\sqrt {1+y'{^{2}}}}dx$ is the Pythagorean distance measure and $v$ is determined from the the law of conservation of energy Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac12 mv^2 = mgy } . giving Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle v = \sqrt{2gy}} . Plugging these in, we get Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle t = \int_{P_a}^{P_b} \sqrt{\frac{1+y'^{2}}{2gy}}dx = \int_{P_a}^{P_b} f dx} , where Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle f=f(y,y')} is the function subject to variational consideration.

According to the Euler--Lagrange differential equation the stationary value is to be found, if E-L equation Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac{\partial f}{\partial y} - \frac{d}{d x}\frac{\partial f}{\partial y'} = 0} is satisfied.

No Friction

We get Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac{\partial f}{\partial y'} = \frac{\partial }{\partial y'} \sqrt{\frac{1+y'^{2}}{2gy}} = \frac1{\sqrt{2gy}} \frac{\partial }{\partial y'} \sqrt{1+y'^{2}} = \frac{2y'}{\sqrt{2gy}} \frac1 {2\sqrt{1+y'^{2}}} } . Since Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle f} does not depend on Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle x} , we may use the simplified E--L formula Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle f-y' \frac{\partial f}{\partial y'}= \text{Constant}} .

Thus, we have Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle f - y' \frac{\partial f}{\partial y'} = \sqrt{ \frac{1+y'{^2}}{2gy} } - \frac{y'{^2}}{\sqrt{2gy} \sqrt{1+y'^{2}}} = C } So we have Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac{1+y'{^2}}{\sqrt{2gy(1+y'{^2})}} - \frac{y'{^2}}{\sqrt{2gy} \sqrt{1+y'^{2}}} = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2gy(1+y'{^2})}} = C } and multiplying this with the denominator and rearring, we have Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle y\left( 1 + y'^{2}\right) = \frac1{2gC^2} = k^2 } by redefining the constant. The standard solution to this equation is given by

Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \begin{align} x &= \frac12 k^2( \theta - \sin\theta) \\ y &= \frac12 k^2( 1 - \cos\theta) \end{align} }

and is the equation of a cycloid.

References

https://mathworld.wolfram.com/BrachistochroneProblem.html

https://physicscourses.colorado.edu/phys3210/phys3210_sp20/lecture/lec04-lagrangian-mechanics/

http://hades.mech.northwestern.edu/images/e/e6/Legeza-MechofSolids2010.pdf

https://www.tau.ac.il/~flaxer/edu/course/computerappl/exercise/Brachistochrone%20Curve.pdf