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Tractrix

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100: 1087:-pulley design provides improved efficiency for mechanical power transmission using a tractrix catenary shape for its teeth. This shape minimizes the friction of the belt teeth engaging the pulley, because the moving teeth engage and disengage with minimal sliding contact. Original timing belt designs used simpler 518: 1077:
design based on the assumption that a wave front traveling through the horn is spherical of a constant radius. The idea is to minimize distortion caused by internal reflection of sound within the horn. The resulting shape is the surface of revolution of a
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The GT tooth profile is based on the tractix mathematical function. Engineering handbooks describe this function as a "frictionless" system. This early development by Schiele is described as an involute form of a
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An important application is in the forming technology for sheet metal. In particular a tractrix profile is used for the corner of the die on which the sheet metal is bent during deep drawing.
1111:. The concept was an analog computing mechanism implementing the tractional principle. The device was impractical to build with the technology of Leibniz's time, and was never realized. 883: 693:
The trajectory determined by the middle of the back axle of a car pulled by a rope at a constant speed and with a constant direction (initially perpendicular to the vehicle).
1405: 513:{\displaystyle y=\int _{x}^{a}{\frac {\sqrt {a^{2}-t^{2}}}{t}}\,dt=\pm \!\left(a\ln {\frac {a+{\sqrt {a^{2}-x^{2}}}}{x}}-{\sqrt {a^{2}-x^{2}}}\right),} 153:
described by the object, so that it becomes completely determined by the movement of the puller. Mathematically, if the coordinates of the object are
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Tractrix created by the end of a pole (lying flat on the ground). Its other end is first pushed then dragged by a finger as it spins out to one side.
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Bertotti, Bruno; Catenacci, Roberto; Dappiaggi, Claudio (2007). "Pseudospheres in geometry and physics: from Beltrami to de Sitter and beyond".
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The sign before the solution depends whether the puller moves upward or downward. Both branches belong to the tractrix, meeting at the
175: 1583: 1335: 20: 792: 1548: 1325: 775: 1281:. Ist. Lombardo Accad. Sci. Lett. Incontr. Studio. Vol. 39. LED–Ed. Univ. Lett. Econ. Diritto, Milan. pp. 165–194. 1108: 536: 1679: 1104: 810: 580: 1615: 1366: 1194: 1279:
A great mathematician of the nineteenth century. Papers in honor of Eugenio Beltrami (1835–1900) (Italian)
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is the length of the pulling thread (4 in the example at right). Then the puller starts to move along the
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Due to the geometrical way it was defined, the tractrix has the property that the segment of its
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Perks, John (1706). "The construction and properties of a new quadratrix to the hyperbola".
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The function admits a horizontal asymptote. The curve is symmetrical with respect to the
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In October–November 1692, Christiaan Huygens described three tractrix-drawing machines.
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The essential property of the tractrix is constancy of the distance between a point
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The surface of revolution created by revolving a tractrix about its asymptote is a
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Beltrami, E. (1868). "Saggio di interpretazione della geometria non euclidea".
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devised a "universal tractional machine" which, in theory, could integrate any
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depends on the direction (positive or negative) of the movement of the puller.
1641: 1627: 900: 1649: 1240:(revised, 3rd ed.). Springer Science & Business Media. p. 345. 1653: 1379:
Horn loudspeaker design pp. 4–5. (Reprinted from Wireless World, March 1974)
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From Logic to Practice: Italian Studies in the Philosophy of Mathematics
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or circular tooth shapes, which cause significant sliding and friction.
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axis in the positive direction. At every moment, the thread will be
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Curve traced by a point on a rod as one end is dragged along a line
1622: 790: 773:. The idea was carried further by Kasner and Newman in their book 48: 1330:. Dover Books on Mathematics. Courier Corporation. p. 141. 965: 233:{\displaystyle y+\operatorname {sign} (y){\sqrt {a^{2}-x^{2}}},} 753:
A great implication that the tractrix had was the study of its
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A history of all these machines can be seen in an article by
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to the initial line between the object and the puller at an
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The tractrix might be regarded in a multitude of ways:
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in the example shown at right), and the puller at the
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In 1927, P. G. A. H. Voigt patented a
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The first term of this solution can also be written
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along which an object moves, under the influence of
1118:built a tractional machine in order to realise the 706:rolling on a straight line, with its center at the 1567: 877: 564: 512: 317: 232: 415: 1064:; it cannot be defined by a polynomial equation. 807:The curve can be parameterised by the equation 1467:Milici, Pietro (2014). Lolli, Gabriele (ed.). 712:axis, intersects perpendicularly at all times. 637:rolling (without skidding) on a straight line. 8: 648:function, which describes a fully flexible, 878:{\displaystyle x=t-\tanh(t),y=1/{\cosh(t)}} 765:in 1868, as a surface of constant negative 1394:. McGraw Hill Book Company. p. 20.43. 968:between the tractrix and its asymptote is 1406:"Gates Powergrip GT3 Drive Design Manual" 1286: 858: 853: 812: 779:, where they show a toy train dragging a 610:on the curve and the intersection of the 549: 538: 494: 481: 475: 458: 445: 439: 430: 402: 390: 377: 370: 364: 359: 347: 303: 290: 283: 257: 255: 219: 206: 200: 177: 98: 18: 1611:MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive 1362:MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive 1226: 1129:built a tractional device that enabled 769:, the pseudosphere is a local model of 1547:Kasner, Edward; Newman, James (1940). 1320:Kasner, Edward; Newman, James (2013). 1530:Epistolarum mathematicanim fasciculus 1436: 1434: 656:field. The catenary has the equation 7: 696:It is a (non-linear) curve which a 1659:Module: Leibniz's Pocket Watch ODE 103:Tractrix with object initially at 14: 1570:A Catalog of Special Plane Curves 1109:first order differential equation 63:attached to a pulling point (the 1441:Bos, H. J. M. (1989). 110:Suppose the object is placed at 1574:. Dover Publications. pp.  1550:Mathematics and the Imagination 1327:Mathematics and the Imagination 776:Mathematics and the Imagination 720:-axis. The curvature radius is 43: 'to pull, drag'; plural: 1008:of the tractrix (that is, the 871: 865: 838: 832: 197: 191: 83:in 1670, and later studied by 1: 79:. It was first introduced by 1566:Lawrence, J. Dennis (1972). 1237:Mathematics and Its History 989:, which can be found using 328:with the initial condition 1696: 1487:Philosophical Transactions 783:to generate the tractrix. 1392:Handbook of Metal Forming 1105:Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz 757:about its asymptote: the 581:inverse hyperbolic secant 75:speed. It is therefore a 1616:University of St Andrews 1367:University of St Andrews 1234:Stillwell, John (2010). 1012:of the tractrix) is the 1532:. p. letter no. 7. 1267:Giornale di Matematiche 1195:Trigonometric functions 95:Mathematical derivation 1499:10.1098/rstl.1706.0017 903:of one branch between 879: 803: 566: 514: 319: 234: 107: 24: 1528:Poleni, John (1729). 1131:logarithmic functions 1069:Practical application 880: 794: 755:surface of revolution 602:Basis of the tractrix 567: 515: 320: 246:differential equation 235: 102: 22: 1680:Mathematical physics 1602:Robertson, Edmund F. 1555:Simon & Schuster 1390:Lange, Kurt (1985). 1353:Robertson, Edmund F. 1156:Hyperbolic functions 1062:transcendental curve 811: 537: 346: 254: 176: 1600:O'Connor, John J.; 1415:. 2014. p. 177 1351:O'Connor, John J.; 1254:extract of page 345 771:hyperbolic geometry 633:of the center of a 369: 242:Pythagorean theorem 55:, when pulled on a 1060:The tractrix is a 875: 804: 767:Gaussian curvature 562: 510: 355: 339:. Its solution is 315: 230: 108: 89:Christiaan Huygens 67:) that moves at a 25: 1413:Gates Corporation 1298:978-88-7916-359-0 1247:978-1-4419-6052-8 1177:Natural logarithm 995:Mamikon's theorem 635:hyperbolic spiral 557: 500: 470: 464: 400: 396: 313: 309: 275: 225: 172:of the puller is 1687: 1646: 1632: 1618: 1589: 1573: 1562: 1534: 1533: 1525: 1519: 1518: 1482: 1476: 1475: 1464: 1458: 1457: 1447: 1438: 1429: 1428: 1422: 1420: 1410: 1402: 1396: 1395: 1387: 1381: 1376: 1370: 1369: 1348: 1342: 1341: 1317: 1311: 1310: 1290: 1274: 1262: 1256: 1251: 1231: 1216: 1212: 1208: 1204: 1200: 1191: 1182: 1173: 1169: 1165: 1161: 1095:Drawing machines 1075:horn loudspeaker 1049: 1048: 1046: 1045: 1040: 1037: 988: 987: 985: 984: 981: 978: 960: 959: 957: 956: 948: 945: 934: ln  928: 915: 895: 884: 882: 881: 876: 874: 857: 763:Eugenio Beltrami 749: 748: 746: 745: 740: 737: 719: 711: 705: 689: 688: 686: 685: 680: 677: 617: 609: 597: 578: 571: 569: 568: 563: 558: 550: 526: 519: 517: 516: 511: 506: 502: 501: 499: 498: 486: 485: 476: 471: 466: 465: 463: 462: 450: 449: 440: 431: 401: 395: 394: 382: 381: 372: 371: 368: 363: 338: 324: 322: 321: 316: 314: 308: 307: 295: 294: 285: 284: 276: 274: 266: 258: 239: 237: 236: 231: 226: 224: 223: 211: 210: 201: 171: 169: 164: 152: 133: 129: 121: 117: 106: 77:curve of pursuit 57:horizontal plane 1695: 1694: 1690: 1689: 1688: 1686: 1685: 1684: 1665: 1664: 1637:"Famous curves" 1635: 1621: 1599: 1596: 1586: 1565: 1546: 1543: 1538: 1537: 1527: 1526: 1522: 1484: 1483: 1479: 1466: 1465: 1461: 1445: 1440: 1439: 1432: 1418: 1416: 1408: 1404: 1403: 1399: 1389: 1388: 1384: 1377: 1373: 1350: 1349: 1345: 1338: 1319: 1318: 1314: 1299: 1276: 1264: 1263: 1259: 1248: 1233: 1232: 1228: 1223: 1214: 1210: 1206: 1202: 1198: 1189: 1180: 1171: 1167: 1163: 1159: 1147: 1127:Giovanni Poleni 1097: 1079: 1071: 1041: 1038: 1033: 1032: 1030: 1021: 982: 979: 973: 972: 970: 969: 955: 949: 946: 944: 938: 937: 935: 930: 927: 917: 914: 904: 893: 809: 808: 789: 741: 738: 733: 732: 730: 721: 717: 707: 701: 681: 678: 673: 672: 670: 657: 615: 607: 604: 591: 576: 535: 534: 524: 523:where the sign 490: 477: 454: 441: 432: 420: 416: 386: 373: 344: 343: 329: 299: 286: 267: 259: 252: 251: 215: 202: 174: 173: 167: 166: 154: 139: 131: 127: 119: 111: 104: 97: 81:Claude Perrault 17: 12: 11: 5: 1693: 1691: 1683: 1682: 1677: 1667: 1666: 1663: 1662: 1656: 1647: 1633: 1619: 1595: 1594:External links 1592: 1591: 1590: 1584: 1563: 1542: 1539: 1536: 1535: 1520: 1477: 1459: 1430: 1397: 1382: 1371: 1343: 1336: 1322:"Figure 45(a)" 1312: 1297: 1257: 1246: 1225: 1224: 1222: 1219: 1218: 1217: 1192: 1183: 1174: 1153: 1151:Dini's surface 1146: 1143: 1135: 1134: 1123: 1112: 1101: 1096: 1093: 1070: 1067: 1066: 1065: 1058: 1051: 998: 962: 953: 942: 925: 912: 897: 886: 873: 870: 867: 864: 861: 856: 852: 849: 846: 843: 840: 837: 834: 831: 828: 825: 822: 819: 816: 788: 785: 714: 713: 694: 691: 638: 622:of the curve. 603: 600: 573: 572: 561: 556: 553: 548: 545: 542: 521: 520: 509: 505: 497: 493: 489: 484: 480: 474: 469: 461: 457: 453: 448: 444: 438: 435: 429: 426: 423: 419: 414: 411: 408: 405: 399: 393: 389: 385: 380: 376: 367: 362: 358: 354: 351: 326: 325: 312: 306: 302: 298: 293: 289: 282: 279: 273: 270: 265: 262: 229: 222: 218: 214: 209: 205: 199: 196: 193: 190: 187: 184: 181: 96: 93: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1692: 1681: 1678: 1676: 1673: 1672: 1670: 1660: 1657: 1655: 1651: 1648: 1644: 1643: 1638: 1634: 1630: 1629: 1624: 1620: 1617: 1613: 1612: 1607: 1603: 1598: 1597: 1593: 1587: 1585:0-486-60288-5 1581: 1577: 1572: 1571: 1564: 1560: 1556: 1552: 1551: 1545: 1544: 1540: 1531: 1524: 1521: 1516: 1512: 1508: 1504: 1500: 1496: 1493:: 2253–2262. 1492: 1488: 1481: 1478: 1474: 1470: 1463: 1460: 1455: 1451: 1444: 1437: 1435: 1431: 1427: 1414: 1407: 1401: 1398: 1393: 1386: 1383: 1380: 1375: 1372: 1368: 1364: 1363: 1358: 1354: 1347: 1344: 1339: 1337:9780486320274 1333: 1329: 1328: 1323: 1316: 1313: 1308: 1304: 1300: 1294: 1289: 1284: 1280: 1272: 1268: 1261: 1258: 1255: 1249: 1243: 1239: 1238: 1230: 1227: 1220: 1196: 1193: 1187: 1186:Sign function 1184: 1178: 1175: 1157: 1154: 1152: 1149: 1148: 1144: 1142: 1140: 1132: 1128: 1124: 1121: 1117: 1113: 1110: 1106: 1102: 1099: 1098: 1094: 1092: 1090: 1086: 1081: 1076: 1068: 1063: 1059: 1056: 1052: 1044: 1036: 1028: 1024: 1019: 1015: 1011: 1007: 1003: 999: 996: 992: 977: 967: 963: 952: 941: 933: 924: 920: 911: 907: 902: 898: 891: 887: 868: 862: 859: 854: 850: 847: 844: 841: 835: 829: 826: 823: 820: 817: 814: 806: 805: 802:of a tractrix 801: 797: 793: 786: 784: 782: 778: 777: 772: 768: 764: 761:. Studied by 760: 756: 751: 744: 736: 728: 724: 710: 704: 699: 695: 692: 684: 676: 668: 664: 660: 655: 654:gravitational 651: 647: 643: 639: 636: 632: 628: 627: 626: 623: 621: 613: 601: 599: 595: 589: 584: 582: 559: 554: 551: 546: 543: 540: 533: 532: 531: 528: 507: 503: 495: 491: 487: 482: 478: 472: 467: 459: 455: 451: 446: 442: 436: 433: 427: 424: 421: 417: 412: 409: 406: 403: 397: 391: 387: 383: 378: 374: 365: 360: 356: 352: 349: 342: 341: 340: 336: 332: 310: 304: 300: 296: 291: 287: 280: 277: 271: 268: 263: 260: 250: 249: 248: 247: 243: 227: 220: 216: 212: 207: 203: 194: 188: 185: 182: 179: 162: 158: 150: 146: 142: 138:to the curve 137: 125: 115: 101: 94: 92: 90: 86: 82: 78: 74: 73:infinitesimal 70: 66: 62: 58: 54: 50: 46: 42: 38: 34: 30: 21: 1675:Plane curves 1640: 1626: 1609: 1569: 1549: 1529: 1523: 1490: 1486: 1480: 1472: 1471:. Springer. 1468: 1462: 1453: 1449: 1424: 1417:. Retrieved 1412: 1400: 1391: 1385: 1374: 1360: 1346: 1326: 1315: 1288:math/0506395 1278: 1275:As cited by 1270: 1266: 1260: 1236: 1229: 1139:H. J. M. Bos 1136: 1133:to be drawn. 1085:toothed belt 1082: 1072: 1055:pseudosphere 1042: 1034: 1026: 1022: 1017: 975: 950: 939: 931: 922: 918: 909: 905: 781:pocket watch 774: 759:pseudosphere 752: 742: 734: 726: 722: 715: 708: 702: 682: 674: 666: 662: 658: 624: 612:tangent line 605: 593: 585: 574: 529: 522: 334: 330: 327: 160: 156: 148: 144: 140: 113: 109: 85:Isaac Newton 64: 61:line segment 44: 40: 32: 26: 1419:17 November 1122:quadrature. 1089:trapezoidal 1029:cosh  1020:) given by 1018:chain curve 991:integration 669:cosh  170:-coordinate 87:(1676) and 69:right angle 1669:Categories 1642:PlanetMath 1628:PlanetMath 1623:"Tractrix" 1606:"Tractrix" 1557:. p.  1541:References 1357:"Tractrix" 1120:hyperbolic 1116:John Perks 901:arc length 787:Properties 729:cot  700:of radius 640:It is the 629:It is the 583:function. 45:tractrices 35:(from 1661:at PHASER 1654:MathWorld 1515:186211499 1426:catenary. 1078:tractrix. 863:⁡ 830:⁡ 824:− 650:inelastic 620:asymptote 618:with the 547:⁡ 488:− 473:− 452:− 428:⁡ 413:± 384:− 357:∫ 297:− 281:± 213:− 189:⁡ 47:) is the 1650:Tractrix 1456:: 65–76. 1450:Euclides 1145:See also 1125:In 1729 1114:In 1706 1103:In 1693 1014:catenary 1002:envelope 974:π  796:Catenary 646:catenary 642:involute 91:(1693). 53:friction 33:tractrix 29:geometry 1559:141–143 1307:2374676 1047:⁠ 1031:⁠ 1010:evolute 1006:normals 1004:of the 986:⁠ 971:⁠ 958:⁠ 936:⁠ 890:tangent 800:evolute 747:⁠ 731:⁠ 687:⁠ 671:⁠ 644:of the 579:is the 240:by the 136:tangent 65:tractor 41:trahere 1582:  1576:5, 199 1513:  1507:102681 1505:  1334:  1305:  1295:  1273:: 284. 1244:  1211:arccot 1172:arcosh 698:circle 590:point 577:arsech 575:where 544:arsech 165:, the 124:origin 120:(4, 0) 105:(4, 0) 1511:S2CID 1503:JSTOR 1446:(PDF) 1409:(PDF) 1283:arXiv 1221:Notes 631:locus 337:) = 0 126:, so 59:by a 49:curve 39: 37:Latin 1580:ISBN 1421:2017 1332:ISBN 1293:ISBN 1242:ISBN 1197:for 1188:for 1179:for 1168:csch 1164:sech 1160:tanh 1158:for 1016:(or 1000:The 966:area 964:The 916:and 899:The 860:cosh 827:tanh 665:) = 596:, 0) 588:cusp 186:sign 118:(or 116:, 0) 31:, a 1652:on 1495:doi 1215:csc 1207:tan 1203:cos 1199:sin 1190:sgn 993:or 929:is 798:as 614:at 27:In 1671:: 1639:. 1625:. 1614:, 1608:, 1604:, 1578:. 1553:. 1509:. 1501:. 1491:25 1489:. 1454:63 1452:. 1448:. 1433:^ 1423:. 1411:. 1365:, 1359:, 1355:, 1324:. 1303:MR 1301:. 1291:. 1269:. 1252:, 1213:, 1209:, 1205:, 1201:, 1181:ln 1170:, 1166:, 1162:, 1141:. 1083:A 1025:= 921:= 908:= 750:. 725:= 598:. 425:ln 159:, 143:= 1645:. 1631:. 1588:. 1561:. 1517:. 1497:: 1340:. 1309:. 1285:: 1271:6 1250:. 1057:. 1050:. 1043:a 1039:/ 1035:x 1027:a 1023:y 997:. 983:2 980:/ 976:a 961:. 954:2 951:x 947:/ 943:1 940:x 932:a 926:2 923:x 919:x 913:1 910:x 906:x 896:. 894:a 885:. 872:) 869:t 866:( 855:/ 851:1 848:= 845:y 842:, 839:) 836:t 833:( 821:t 818:= 815:x 743:y 739:/ 735:x 727:a 723:r 718:y 709:x 703:a 690:. 683:a 679:/ 675:x 667:a 663:x 661:( 659:y 616:P 608:P 594:a 592:( 560:, 555:a 552:x 541:a 525:± 508:, 504:) 496:2 492:x 483:2 479:a 468:x 460:2 456:x 447:2 443:a 437:+ 434:a 422:a 418:( 410:= 407:t 404:d 398:t 392:2 388:t 379:2 375:a 366:a 361:x 353:= 350:y 335:a 333:( 331:y 311:x 305:2 301:x 292:2 288:a 278:= 272:x 269:d 264:y 261:d 228:, 221:2 217:x 208:2 204:a 198:) 195:y 192:( 183:+ 180:y 168:y 163:) 161:y 157:x 155:( 151:) 149:x 147:( 145:y 141:y 132:y 128:a 114:a 112:(

Index


geometry
Latin
curve
friction
horizontal plane
line segment
right angle
infinitesimal
curve of pursuit
Claude Perrault
Isaac Newton
Christiaan Huygens

origin
tangent
Pythagorean theorem
differential equation
inverse hyperbolic secant
cusp
tangent line
asymptote
locus
hyperbolic spiral
involute
catenary
inelastic
gravitational
circle
surface of revolution

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