The brachistochrone problem for a disc

✍ Scribed by L.D. Akulenko

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 312 KB
• Volume: 73
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-8928
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jappmathmech.2009.08.015

✦ Synopsis

The motion of a vertical disc along a curve under the influence of gravity is investigated. On the assumption of regular rolling without slip and separation of contact points, the problem of plotting the curve of most rapid motion of the disc centre from the origin of coordinates to an arbitrary fixed point of the lower half-plane is solved. As usual, the velocity at the initial instant of time is zero, and at the final instant of time it is not fixed. In explicit parametric form, the classical brachistochrone for contact points of the disc is plotted and investigated. The response time, trajectory and kinematic and dynamic characteristics of motion are calculated analytically. Previously unknown qualitative properties of regular rolling are established. In particular, it is shown that the disc centre moves along a cycloid connecting specified points. The envelopes of the boundary points of the disc, produced as its centre moves along the cycloid, are brachistochrones. The feasibility of mechanical coupling of the disc and the curve by reaction forces at the contact point (the normal pressure and dry friction) is investigated.