An animation of two particles moving (under the influence of gravity) along different paths connecting the same point. A blue particle drops along the cycloid between the two points and reached the end first. A red particle follows a straight line, and arrives second.

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1. Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 29-Jan-2024 18:10:31 UTC Robert McNees

   Isaac Newton was made aware of Jean Bernoulli's "brachistochrone" problem #OTD in 1697. He solved it later that evening, showing that the curve of fastest descent between two points was given by a portion of a cycloid.

   Newton published his solution anonymously in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Bernoulli would later say that the identity of the author was obvious; he recognized "the lion by his claw."