Difference between revisions of "Wagon collision"

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(Created page with "This puzzle appears in V. I. Arnold's classical text on ODEs, where its attributed to N.N. Konstantinov. ==Puzzle== Suppose there are cities A and B connected to each other by...")
 
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==References==
 
==References==
  
[http://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Differential-Equations-V-Arnold/dp/0262510189: Ordinary Differential Equations] - V. I. Arnold's book on ODEs.
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[http://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Differential-Equations-V-Arnold/dp/0262510189 : Ordinary Differential Equations] - V. I. Arnold's book on ODEs.

Revision as of 23:28, 6 November 2010

This puzzle appears in V. I. Arnold's classical text on ODEs, where its attributed to N.N. Konstantinov.

Puzzle

Suppose there are cities A and B connected to each other by two non-intersecting roads. Furthermore, suppose we know that two cars attached by a rope of length less than 2R are able to travel together on different roads from city A to city B without the rope tearing. Given this, is it possible for two circular wagons, each of radius R, each traveling along its center and each starting in a different city, to travel in opposite directions along different roads without colliding as they pass?

Help

Hint
Nothing here yet.
Solution
Nothing here yet.

References

: Ordinary Differential Equations - V. I. Arnold's book on ODEs.