Two Applications of Calculus to Triangular Billiards
Let \(\mathcal T\) be the space of triangles in the Euclidean plane, endowed with the natural topology. Two triangles, \(T\) and \(T'\) are close in this topology if we can label their vertices, \(T=ABC\), \(T'=A'B'C'\), so that \(A\) is close to \(A'\), etc. Let \({\mathcal A}\subset {\mathcal T}\) be the subspace of acute triangles, and think of the elements of \(\mathcal A\) as triangular billiard tables. The relative length of the Fagnano orbit, \(f(T)=|T_1|/|T|\), is a positive continuous function on \(\mathcal A\). The authors answers, by elementary calculus, the following questions: What is the maximum of \(f\) on \(\mathcal A\), and on which \(T\in {\mathcal A}\) is this maximum attained? What is the mean value of \(f\) with respect to the natural measure on \(\mathcal A\).
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- Capillary floating and the billiard ball problem
- The properties of the mechanical system equivalent to a billiard in a triangle
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