What kind of equations can be solved simply by using things in nature? Letting the physics do the solving, so to speak. My question is not very thought out at the moment, but perhaps there are some examples where one has gleaned on the solution's manifestation in nature before in math? I am thinking of a science program I saw a decade ago or so where the architect used soap bubbles to try to minimize the area between the main structure. Perhaps crystals or similar things can be used to get voronoi diagrams. Things like that. Do you have any examples?
2026-03-27 19:32:28.1774639948
Examples of equations that are solved automatically in nature?
100 Views Asked by Bumbble Comm https://math.techqa.club/user/bumbble-comm/detail At
1
The origins of the field of Calculus of variations came from nature.
One of the first problems posted was the Brachistochrone problem. This asks what the time minimizing path between two points A and B are where an object is traveling under only the force of gravity.
The calculus of variations also can be used to find the time/energy minimizing curves in other scenarios. For example the catenary problem. When you hang a cord between two points what is the shape of that curve.