A detailed analysis of the brachistochrone problem

Rodney Coleman (1)

1 CASYS - Calculs Algébriques et Systèmes Dynamiques

If A and B are two points in the plane, with B lower and to the right of A, then we may consider the trajectory of an object travelling from A to B under the influence of gravity. The search for the trajectory minimising the time taken by the object gives rise to a mathematical optimisation problem involving an indefinite integral. Although the solution of this problem is known, a full detailed handling of the problem does not seem to be available. The aim of this article is to provide such a detailed study.

Mots clés: optimisation; brachistochrone

Domaines: Optimisation et contrôle [math.OC]

Rodney Coleman. A detailed analysis of the brachistochrone problem. 2012. ⟨hal-00446767v2⟩