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The mathematics of walking

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2016

R. B. Anderton
R. B. Anderton*
Affiliation:
89 Rutherglen Road, Abbey Wood, London SE2 OXU
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Extract

Since ‘a body continues in its state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line except in so far as it is compelled by forces to change that state’, the very first question that should be asked about walking is why any energy at all need be expended in maintaining fixed speed on level ground. With a wheeled vehicle remarkably little force is exerted for this once it is got going, and virtually all the energy is used to overcome resistive drag. But the body is not dragged, and there is little resistance presented by relaxed, healthy limbs.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Mathematical Gazette , Volume 71 , Issue 457 , October 1987 , pp. 194 - 197
Copyright
Copyright © The Mathematical Association 1987

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References

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