A Short Path to the Shortest Path

Author(s): Peter D. Lax

Source: The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 102, No. 2 (Feb., 1995), pp. 158-159
Published by: Mathematical Association of America
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2975350 .
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steps of 0.1. This picture inspiresone to look for a single equationsatisfiedby cr

and cr2. In fact, it is not too hard to show that
(1

(r1)(r2=

3.

(ll)

To see this, translatep so that r2 = 0. Then p'(x) = 3X2_ 2(r1 + r3)x + r1r3.
From this, we see that the productof the two roots of p' is r1rJ3. However,the
roots of p' are (1 - crl)r1and cr2r3.l
Figure2 was producedin a similarmannerbut using quarticpolynomialsof the
form p(x) = x(x - r2)(x - r3)(x - r4). The criticalpoints were approximatedby
numericallysolvingthe cubic equation p'(x) = 0 using Maple's fsolve procedure.
This time Y4 clearlyappearsto be a smooth surfacein X4.
REFERENCES
1. B. Anderson,Polynomialroot dragging,Amer. Math. Monthly 100 (1993)864-866.
2. R. Gelca, A shortproof of a resulton polynomials,Amer. Math. Monthly 100 (1993)936-937.
3. L. F. Klosinski,G. L. Alexandersonand L. C. Larson,The fifty-secondWilliamLowell Putnam
mathematicalcompetition,Amer. Math. Monthly 99 (1992),715-724.
4. P. Walker,Separationof the zeros of polynomials,Amer. Math. Monthly 100 (1993)272-273.

Departmentof Mathematics
EasternIllinois University
Charleston,IL 61920
cfpga(Reiu.edu

A Short Path to the Shortest Path

Peter D. Lax
This note contains a demonstrationof the isoperimetricinequality.Our proof is
somewhatsimpler and more straightforwardthan the usual ones; it is eminently
suitablefor presentationin an honors calculuscourse.
1. The IsoperimetricInequalitysays that a closed plane curve of length 2r
encloses an area < r. Equalityholds only for a circle.
Let x(s), y(s) be the parametricpresentationof the curve,s arclength,0 < s <
2v. Suppose that we have so positioned the curve that the points x(0), y(0) and
x(v), y(v) lie on the x-axis, i.e.
y(O)

= O = y(v).

(1)

The area enclosed by the curve is given by the formula

yxds,

A -|

(2)

where the dot denotes differentiationwith respect to s. We write this integralas

the sum A1 + A2 f an integral from 0 to v and from v to 2r, and show that
each is < 2
1The authorthanksthe referee for this particularlynice derivationof (11).

158

NOTES

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[February

Theeiconal equation Ein=l(@U/@xi)2

1, u: RnR is one of the mainequations

Accordingto a basic inequality,

ab <

a2 + b2

equalityholds only when a = b. Applyingthis to y = a, x = b, we get

A1 = | yxds < 21
Since s is arclength,X2

+ y2 =

1; SO

A1 < 2 1

(y2

+x2)ds.

(3)

we can rewrite(3) as
(y2

1-y2)

ds.

(3')

Since y = Oat s = Oand , we can factor y as

y(s) = u(s)sin s,

(4)

u bounded and differentiable.Differentiate(4):

y = usins + ucoss.
Setting this into (3') gives
A1< 2|

2uusinscoss-u2sin2s+1]ds.

[u2(sin2s-COS2S)-

(S)

The product2uu is the derivativeof u2; integratingby parts changes(5) into

1

A1< 21 (1-u2sin2s)ds,
clearly < Fr/2. Equalityholds only if u - O,which makes y(s) - constant sin s.
Since equalityin (3) holds only if y = x = 21 _ y2, y(5) - _ sin s, x(s) - + cos s
+ constant.This is a semicircle. Q.e.d.
CourantInstituteof MathematicalSciences
New YorkUniuersity
251 MercerStreet
New York,NY 10012

A Note on Entire Solutions

of the Eiconal Equation
Dmitly Khavinson
of geometricaloptics. Its characteristicsrepresent the light rays, while the level
surfaces of solution u can be thought of as wave fronts (cf., e.g., [3]). Here,
1995]

NOTES

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159