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Curve of Constant Precession


A curve whose centrode revolves about a fixed axis with constant angle and speed when the curve is traversed with unit speed. The tangent indicatrix of a curve of constant precession is a spherical helix. An arc length parameterization of a curve of constant precession with natural equations

kappa(s)=-omegasin(mus)
(1)
tau(s)=omegacos(mus)
(2)

is

x(s)=(alpha+mu)/(2alpha)(sin[(alpha-mu)s])/(alpha-mu)-(alpha-mu)/(2alpha)(sin[(alpha+mu)s])/(alpha+mu)
(3)
y(s)=-(alpha+mu)/(2alpha)(cos[(alpha-mu)s])/(alpha-mu)+(alpha-mu)/(2alpha)(cos[(alpha+mu)s])/(alpha+mu)
(4)
z(s)=omega/(mualpha)sin(mus),
(5)

where

 alpha=sqrt(omega^2+mu^2)
(6)

and omega, and mu are constant. This curve lies on a circular one-sheeted hyperboloid

 x^2+y^2-(mu^2)/(omega^2)z^2=(4mu^2)/(omega^4).
(7)

The curve is closed iff mu/alpha is rational.


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References

Scofield, P. D. "Curves of Constant Precession." Amer. Math. Monthly 102, 531-537, 1995.

Referenced on Wolfram|Alpha

Curve of Constant Precession

Cite this as:

Weisstein, Eric W. "Curve of Constant Precession." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. https://mathworld.wolfram.com/CurveofConstantPrecession.html

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