brachystochrone

1 definition found

brachystochrone - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Brachystochrone \Bra*chys"to*chrone\, n. [Incorrect for
     brachistochrone, fr. Gr. bra`chistos shortest (superl. of
     brachy`s short) + ? time : cf. F. brachistochrone. ] (Math.)
     A curve, in which a body, starting from a given point, and
     descending solely by the force of gravity, will reach another
     given point in a shorter time than it could by any other
     path. This curve of quickest descent, as it is sometimes
     called, is, in a vacuum, the same as the cycloid.
     [1913 Webster]