Solving the brachistochrone and other variational problems with soap films
arXiv:1003.3924 · doi:10.1119/1.3483276
Abstract
We show a method to solve the problem of the brachistochrone as well as other variational problems with the help of the soap films that are formed between two suitable surfaces. We also show the interesting connection between some variational problems of dynamics, statics, optics, and elasticity.
16 pages, 11 figures. This article, except for a small correction, has been submitted to the American Journal of Physics