Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 9:00 am    Post subject: How to derive the diferential equation of the tractrix?

I saw this in a book on Differential Equation. However I have no idea as of how to relate x and y using a Differential Equation.(and hence solve it…)

A man, standing at (0, 0) holds a rope of length a to which a weight is attached, initially at (0, a). The man walks along the X-axis to the right dragging the weight after him. When the man is at M, the weight is at W. The angle WMx(x is (+inf, 0)) is theta. Find the differential equation of the path (called the tractrix) of the weight and solve the equation.