Chased by a lion and other pursuit-evasion problems

Question

I am looking for a reference (book or article) that poses a problem that seems to be a classic, in that I've heard it posed many times, but that I've never seen written anywhere: that of the possibility of a man in a circular pen with a lion, each with some maximum speed, avoiding capture by that lion.

References to pursuit problems in general would also be appreciated, and the original source of this problem.

Answer 1

Since you're asking for a reference, perhaps this will do?

Wolfram Mathworld says the problem was listed by Rado in 1925. The reference is on the problem description page, here.

Answer 2

Here is a book on this type of problem

• Paul J. Nahin, Chases and escapes: the mathematics of pursuit and evasion, Princeton University Press, 2007.

it is also briefly mentioned in his other book "Euler's Fabulous Formula".

Answer 3

The book is Coffee in Memphis by Bollobas. It's the first problem, and there are loads more :

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Mathematics-Coffee-Time-Memphis/dp/0521693950