Lucian RAICU, Ana-Maria Mihaela RUGESCU

CYCLING CURVES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

Abstract: This paper proposes an analysis of the cyclic curves that can be considered as some of the most
important regarding their applications in science, technique, design, architecture and art. These curves
include the following: cycloid, epicycloid, hypocycloid, spherical cycloid and special cases thereof. In the
first part of the paper the main curves of cycloids family are presented with their methods of generating
and setting parametric equations. In the last part some of cycloid applications are highlighted in different
areas of science, technology and art.

Key words: Circle, cycloid, epicycloid, hypocycloid, arc, rolling, parameter, equation.

INTRODUCTION. BRIEF HISTORY generator circle, and P is the contact point of the circle
to the base (fixed line).
From the historical point of view, a cycloid is the
representative curve of the family, by the interest aroused
among mathematicians from the 16th and 17th centuries.
It has helped to increase interest in the study of
geometric properties of plane curves. Because of this fact
and quarrels among mathematicians on the properties of
cycloid, it was called „Helen of geometers“ (in reference
to the Helen of Troy).
Among mathematicians who have studied the cycloid
we can mention: Nicolaus Cusanus (1401-1464); Marin Fig. 1 Cycloid itself (common)
Mersenne (1588-1648); Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) gave
the current name of the curve in 1599; in 1634 Gilles After calculatting the parametric equations of
Personne de Roberval (1602 – 1675) established that the common cycloid are obtained:
area under a cycloid is three times the area of its
generating circle; Christopher Wren (1632-1723)
 x  r (t  sin t )
showed, in 1658 that the length of an arc of a cycloid is (C ) :  (1)
four times greater than the diameter of its generating  y  r (1  cos t ).
circle; Blaise Pascal (1623-1662); Christiaan Huygens
(1629-1495); Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz (1646-1716); A loop of cycloid (fig. 1) corresponds to t  0, 2
Johann Bernoulli (1667-1748) and so on. and in the remaining definition interval the other loops
Some of these mathematicians went into posterity and are also repeted 3.
because of their implication in the cycloid study. Thus, a The normal to the cycloid in the M point passing
marble statue of Augustin Pajou (1785), features Blaise through the contact point P of the rolling circle to the
Pascal studying the cycloid (work at the Louvre basic line, while the tangent MT passes through a point S,
Museum, in 1960). which is a symmetric point to P point to the center of the
In a mezzotinto engraving by Johann Jakob Haid circle that rolls over.
(1742), Johann Bernoulli is presented with a manuscript The area under a cycloid is A = 3r2, and the length
where you notice a cycloid 4. of a cycloid arc is L = 8r, where r is the radius of the
generating circle.
2. CYCLOID If point M does not belong to the circumference of the
circle that rolls over, but it is a point inside the circle,
The cycloid is a curve described by a point M of a then the curve is a shortened cycloid (fig. 2).
circle when it rolls over without slipping on a straight
line, also called base.
In order to set parametric equations of cycloid you
can choose a system reference with Ox axis which
coincides with the fixed line (rolling line), with the
rolling direction of the circle, and in its original position,
the point M is the same as the origin O of a reference
system (fig. 1).
The curve parameter (C) is the angle t called rollover
angle, formed by the radius r = MC and radius CP, Fig. 2 Shortened cycloid
where M is a point on the cycloid, C is the center of the
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND ENGINEERING GRAPHICS 55
Cycling curves and their applications
If point M is outside the circle, the curve obtained is curve will have R/r arcs. If k = R/r is an integer number
an elongated cycloid (fig. 3). the entire curve is closed and has k cusps, if k is a
rational number the p/q curve has p cusps, and if k is
irrational the curve is not closed but fills the space
between the fixed circle and a circle of R  2r radius ,
concentric to the large circle.
If k = R/r is an integer, the length of an epicycloid arc
is l = 8r(R  r)/R, and the area between an epicycloid arc
and fixes circle is A = r2(3R  2r)/R, 1.
For R = r or (k = 1), the corresponding epicycloid is
Fig. 3 Elongated cycloid
cardioid (fig. 5, a) having parametric equations:
Noting with M* the generating point in both cases and
with d the distance from this point to the center of the  x  R (2 cos t  cos 2t )
(CA ) :  (4)
generating circle we set parametric equations:  y  R (2 sin t  sin 2t ).

 x  r  t  d  sin t The entire length of a cardioid is L = 16r and the area

(T ) :  (2)
 y  r  d  cos t. covered by the curve is A = 6r2.

In equation (2), for d = r the common cycloid is

obtained, for d  r shortened cycloid and for d  r
elongated cycloid. These curves are called trohoids.

3. EPICYCLOID

An epicycloid is the curve described by a point M of

a circle that rolls over without slipping on the outer side
of a fixed circle.
For setting parametric equations, a fixed circle of
radius R must have the center in the origin of reference
system, and the axis Ox to go through initial position on a b
the mobile circle that generates the epicycloid (fig. 4 ). Fig. 5 Cardioid (a), nephroid (b)

For R = 2r or (k = 2), we get a nefroid (fig. 5, b) with

parametric equations:

 x  r (3 cos t  cos 3t )
(NF ) :  (5)
 y  r (3 sin t  sin 3t ).

4. HYPOCYCLOID

A hypocycloid is the curve described by a point M of

a mobile circle rolling over without slipping inside a
fixed point.
Fig. 4 Epicycloid In order to set the parametric equations of a
The parametric equations of the epicycloid are: hypocycloid we chose a reference system with the origin
in the centre of the fixed circle and the current point M in
the original position M0, on Ox axis (fig. 6).
 Rr
 x  ( R  r ) cos t  r  cos r t
(EC ) :  (3)
Rr
 y  ( R  r ) sin t  r  sin t.
 r

Based on the location of the point M towards the

centre of the generator circle we have: the common
epicycloid (d = r), shortened epicycloid (d  r) and
elongated epicycloid (d  r), where d is the distance from
the point M to the center of the mobile circle. These
curves are also called epitrochoids.
In relation to the fixed circle an epicycloid will have
peaks, loops or minimals without double points. If the Fig. 6 Hypocycloid
length 2R is a multiple of the perimeter 2r, then the
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 Cycling curves and their applications
The parametric equations of the common hypocycloid 5. SPHERICAL CYCLOID
are:
 Rr A spherical cycloid is a spatial curve described by a
 x  ( R  r ) cos t  r  cos r t point M of a circle that rolls over without slipping on
(HC ) :  (6)
Rr a fixed circle, the two circles are in plans that make
 y  ( R  r ) sin t  r  sin t. an angle with each other constantly . Under these
 r
geometrical conditions the cycloid are plotted on a
Based on the location of the point M to the centre of sphere (fig. 8, 5).
the generating circle we have: the common hipocycloid
(d = r), shortened hipocycloid (d  r) and elongated
hipocycloid (d  r), where d is the distance from the
point M to the center of the mobile circle 1. These
curves are also called hipotrochoids.
Hypocycloids may have rounded peaks (minimum in
relation to the fixed circle), loops or peaks.
If k = R/r is an integer the curve is closed and has k
cusps, if k is a rational number p/q, the curve has p cusps,
and if k is irrational the curve never closes but fills the
space of the great circle except for a circular disk of Fig. 8 Spherical cycloids
radius equal to R-2r, located in the center of the large
If  = 0, we have a hypocycloid and  =  it is a
circle.
epicycloid (plane curves).
If k = R/r is an integer, then the hypocycloid has
A spherical cycloid can also be described by a fixed
length L = 8(R-r) = 8R(k-1)/k, the area between the bow
point of a right circular cone as it rolls over without
of the hypocycloid and the fixed circle is A=
slipping on another fixed rotation cone having the same
r2(3R-2r)/R, and the area contained inside of the
peak with the first. Under these conditions the cones
hypocycloid is Ak = (k-1)(k-2)R2/k2,, 1.
having a common peak  contain the fixed circle and
In the specific case of R/r = 3, an deltoid is obtained
the mobile circle, respectively.
(fig. 7, a).
The first cone can run on the convex face or concave
In the specific case of R/r = 4, an astroid is obtained
face of the fixed cone. Subject to these conditions
(fig. 7, b).
following cases are defined: the cone running on the
convex face of the fixed cone and a sphere-like
epicycloid is obtained (fig. 9, a); a cone running on the
concave face and a spherical hypocycloid is obtained
(fig. 9, b); a cone running on a circle with the peak in
the center of the circle and a common spherical cycloid is
obtained 2.

a b
Fig. 7 Deltoid (a), astroid (b)

The parametric equations of an astroid are:

 x  R  cos 3 t
(AT ) :  (7)
 y  R  sin 3 t.

If we remove the parameter t from the equations (7),

the Cartesian equation of the astroid is:
a b
Fig. 9 Spherical epicycloid (a), spherical hypocycloid (b)
(ATc ) : x 2 / 3  y 2 / 3  R 2 / 3 . (8)
6. CYCLIC CURVES IN SCIENCE AND
An astroid length is L = 6 R, and the area contained
TECHNIQUE
within an astroid is 3R2/8.
The astroid had a variety of names: tetracuspid or From the scientific point of view, a cyclic curve can
cubocycloid. be tautochronous, brahistochronous or isochronous,
In case of the ratio R/r = 2, the hypocycloid is properties with applications in physics.
reduced to a diameter of the fixed circle.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND ENGINEERING GRAPHICS 57
Cycling curves and their applications
A cycloid (upside down) in a vertical plane is 7. CYCLING CURVES IN DESIGN AND ART
tautochronous if a material point on this reaches the
lowest point at the same time in any position would start A cycloid is used by engineers and designers for
without initial velocity. The tautochronous problem was designing roller coasters. Being a brahistochronous curve
solved by Christiaan Huygens in 1659. a cycloid allows to obtain highest speeds between the
A cycloid is also brahistochronous because it is a two different heights of the circuit.
curve on which a material point can slide without friction In architecture, a cycloid arc was used by Louis Kahn
and initial velocity in an uniform gravitational field, so (1901–1974) at Kimbell Art Museum (1966–1972) in
that the displacement time is the lowest in relation to all Fort Worth, Texas. An American architect named
the curves that unite the two fixed points located at Wallace Kirkman Harrison (1895–1981) used cycloid
different heights. The brahistochronous problem was arcs over the arcades of the main the facades at Hopkins
solved by Johann Bernoulli, in 1696. This result is Center for the Arts (1962), Dartmouth College.
considered as a starting point in variations calculation. With these curves we can make geometric figures
The isochronous problem, in the sense of Huygens, having aesthetic impact such as: stained glass windows,
lies in the fact that a material point in a moving periodic mosaics, paving, decorative motifs in tape with repetition
without friction, has a period independent of its original or alternation, patterns on ceramic surfaces, stitched or
position. printed patterns on various textile surfaces, curves that
In 1673, Christiaan Huygens published in Paris, generate rotational surfaces, ornamentation, spatial
„Horologium Oscillatorium“ a very important treaty in models with aesthetic and didactic character.
the field, in five parts, showing also a cycloid as a
tautochronous curve and isochronous, and drawings of a 8. CONCLUSIONS
cycloidal pendulum. If the length of a such pendulum is
equal to half the length of a cycloid, then the pendulum Plane and space cycloidal curves apart from the fact
suspended from a cuspid of a reversed cycloid so that the that have contributed, through their study, to the
thread remains between adjacent cycloid arcs, also evolution of geometric properties of various families of
describes a cycloidal trajectory due to the geometric curves were, in many cases, the link between the theory
property of this curve: a cycloid has also a cycloid as an of mathematics and various areas of physics and
evolute 4. technology. These curves have many applications in
The period of a cycloidal pendulum is given by the modern technology, in areas which may include:
relationship: different gears, mechanical transmissions, thermal
T  2 π 4a / g , (9) engines etc. They can be used, with the possibilities of
innovation in designing various products. Cycloidal
where a is the radius of the cycloid generating circle and curves through properties and appearance, are widely
g is the gravitational acceleration. used in various fields of art, because they are able to
In 1687, Isaac Newton (1643–1727) in his work solve the aesthetic problems.
„Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica“
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cycloidal profile for outdoor gear, the head of the tooth is
an epicycloid and the tooth foot is a hypocycloid and for Eng. Lucian RAICU, Ph.D., Professor, University
the inner gear the two wheels profile is reversed. Politehnica of Bucharest, Department of Engineering
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