Math Forum / Mathematics / Undergraduate Math / October 2008

Here's a nice calc III type problem for an extra credit project: Show
that for an airplane flying with constant airspeed over a closed
course with a constant wind vector, that the time to traverse the
course is minimum when the wind is calm.

No peeking until you try it yourself. My solution is on my home page:

math.asu.edu/~kurtz

Perhaps someone can find a simpler solution.

--Lynn