Draft:Bpow1997-7

As spring approaches, many people put up birdhouses for wild birds -- thereby initiating the annual round of ``Squirrel Wars. Seasoned veterans of these wars have learned to thwart the cursed rodents by suspending the nest from wires. The question to answer is: What configuration will minimize the total length of wire needed?

The details are as follows. The wire is to be strung between two trees standing a distance D apart, and are to be attached at a common height above the ground -- high enough so a person can walk under the wire close to the trees. The birdhouse is to be suspended midway between the trees, but at a distance d below the height at which the wires are attached to the trees, so that a person can reach the birdhouse easily. There are three configurations to consider, whose shapes resemble the letters T, V, and Y.