Tractrix

The tractrix arises in the following problem posed to Leibniz: What is the path of an object starting off with a vertical offset when it is dragged along by a string of constant length being pulled along a straight horizontal line (Steinhaus 1999, pp. 250-251)? By associating the object with a dog, the string with a leash, and the pull along a horizontal line with the dog's master, the curve has the descriptive name hundkurve (dog curve) in German. Leibniz found the curve using the fact that the axis is an asymptote to the tractrix (MacTutor Archive). From its definition, the tractrix is precisely the catenary involute described by a point initially on the vertex (so the catenary is the tractrix evolute). The tractrix is sometimes called the tractory or equitangential curve. The tractrix was first studied by Huygens in 1692, who gave it the name "tractrix." Later, Leibniz, Johann Bernoulli, and others studied the curve. In Cartesian coordinates, the tractrix has equation (1 ) One parametric form is (2 ) (3 ) The arc length, curvature, and tangential angle for this parameterization with are (4 ) (5

) (6 ) where is the Gudermannian.

Rather surprisingly, area under the curve is given by (7 ) A second parametric form in terms of the angle of the straight line tangent to the tractrix can be found by computing

(8)

(9) (10) then solving for and plugging back in to obtain (11) (12) (13) (Gray 1997). This parameterization has curvature (14) In terms of the angle , the parametric equations can be written (15) (16) (17) (18) (Lockwood 1967, p. 123), where is the inverse Gudermannian. is given by

A parameterization which traverses the tractrix with constant speed

(19)

(20)

When a tractrix is rotated around its asymptote, a pseudosphere results. This is a surface of constant negative curvature. For a tractrix, the length of a tangent from its point of contact to an asymptote is constant. The area between the tractrix and its asymptote is finite.

Catenary

The curve a hanging flexible wire or chain assumes when supported at its ends and acted upon by a uniform gravitational force. The word catenary is derived from the Latin word for "chain." In 1669, Jungius disproved Galileo's claim that the curve of a chain hanging under gravity would be a parabola (MacTutor Archive). The curve is also called the alysoid and chainette. The equation was obtained by Leibniz, Huygens, and Johann Bernoulli in 1691 in response to a challenge by Jakob Bernoulli. Huygens was the first to use the term catenary in a letter to Leibniz in 1690, and David Gregory wrote a treatise on the catenary in 1690 (MacTutor Archive). If you roll a parabola along a straight line, its focus traces out a catenary. As proved by Euler in 1744, the catenary is also the curve which, when rotated, gives the surface of minimum surface area (the catenoid) for the given bounding circle.

The parametric equations for the catenary are given by (1 ) (2 ) (3 ) where corresponds to the vertex and is a parameter that determines how quickly the catenary "opens up."

Catenaries for values of

ranging from 0.05 to 1.00 by steps of 0.05 are illustrated above. are given by (4 ) (5 ) (6 )

The arc length, curvature, and tangential angle for

The slope is proportional to the arc length as measured from the center of symmetry. The Cesro equation is (7 )

The St. Louis Arch closely approximates an inverted catenary, but it has a nonzero thickness and varying cross sectional area (thicker at the base; thinner at the apex). The centroid has half-length of feet at the base, height of

625.0925 feet, top cross sectional area 125.1406 square feet, and bottom cross sectional area 1262.6651 square feet. The catenary also gives the shape of the road (roulette) over which a regular polygonal "wheel" can travel smoothly. For a regular -gon, the Cartesian equation of the corresponding catenary is (8 ) where (9 )