Paper 3, Section I, C

Variational Principles
Part IB, 2016

Two points AA and BB are located on the curved surface of the circular cylinder of radius RR with axis along the zz-axis. We denote their locations by (R,ϕA,zA)\left(R, \phi_{A}, z_{A}\right) and (R,ϕB,zB)\left(R, \phi_{B}, z_{B}\right) using cylindrical polar coordinates and assume ϕAϕB,zAzB\phi_{A} \neq \phi_{B}, z_{A} \neq z_{B}. A path ϕ(z)\phi(z) is drawn on the cylinder to join AA and BB. Show that the path of minimum distance between the points AA and BB is a helix, and determine its pitch. [For a helix with axis parallel to the zz axis, the pitch is the change in zz after one complete helical turn.]