Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 ia Paper 3 4C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
In polar coordinates, the curve is the logarithmic spiral , . It starts at and winds counterclockwise outwards through one and a half turns. It crosses the horizontal axis atThe following original sketch uses representative positive values; changing rescales it and changing changes its rate of expansion.
Logarithmic spiral over one and a half counterclockwise turns
. Details. Differentiate the coordinates:Hence . Integrating the arc length element gives, for ,For a negative endpoint parameter the length between and zero uses the absolute value of the final factor.
A second differentiation givesThe numerator is positive, so the absolute value in the PDF's curvature of a plane curve formula leaves it unchanged. ConsequentlyThe speed is , and therefore . Thus the requested elapsed time isThis travel time at reciprocal-curvature speed is independent of because the growing arc length per unit angle is exactly matched by the growing speed.
