Brachistochrone
/ˌbrækɪˈstɒkrəʊn/noun
The curve along which a particle slides between two points in the least possible time under gravity.
Did you know?The brachistochrone problem became famous in 1696 when Johann Bernoulli challenged mathematicians across Europe to find the quickest path of descent, helping launch the calculus of variations.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mreǵʰus
“Short or brief; a proposed ancestor of the Greek root behind brachys”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βραχύς (brakhýs)
“Short; small in length or duration”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βράχιστος (brákhistos)
“Shortest; the superlative form of brakhýs”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χρόνος (khrónos)
“Time; the Greek source of the second element”
1696
New Latin
brachistochrone
“A coined technical term for the curve of fastest descent, introduced during Johann Bernoulli’s famous mathematical challenge”
Modern English
English
brachistochrone
“The mathematically quickest descent curve under uniform gravity”
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