Session 32: Ring on a String

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Overview

When Professor Jerison holds up a piece of string threaded through a ring, the ring slides to the lowest point possible. How would we use calculus to predict the location of that point? This is a minimization problem with an added twist: the position of the ring is constrained by the endpoints and length of the string.

Lecture Video and Notes

Video Excerpts

» Clip 1: Ring on a String (00:22:00)

» Accompanying Notes (PDF)

From Lecture 13 of 18.01 Single Variable Calculus, Fall 2006

 

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