Definition:Involute/Definition 1
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Definition
Let $\CC$ be a curve embedded in a plane.
Let $\LL$ be the locus of a fixed point on a tangent to $\CC$ as it rolls around $\CC$.
The curve $\LL$ is the involute of $\CC$.
Also see
- Results about involutes can be found here.
Historical Note
The concept of the involute of a curve in the plane was first introduced by Christiaan Huygens during his analysis of the cycloid in his $1673$ treatise Horologium Oscillatorium sive de Motu Pendularium.
Sources
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): involute
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): involute