How does Lanchester's transporter work in a curved manifold?

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In summary, the Lanchester's transporter, as described in A Short Course in General Relativity by Forster and Nightingale on page 236, operates by rotating its pointer in a counterclockwise direction when turning to the right. This is due to the faster rotation of the outer wheel on the left and the presence of two pinions, resulting in the "1/2" in the expression of the angle of rotation. Although the purpose of the device may not be immediately apparent from the diagram, it is designed to accurately parallel transport a vector over a curved manifold.
  • #1
rbwang1225
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In A Short Course in General Relativity, Forster and Nightingale, page 236, it describes how the Lanchester's transporter operates.
content of the question.jpg

lanchester's transporter.jpg

According to the diagram, I think the pointer would turn clockwise when the Lanchester's transporter travels a right-hand bend, however, the paragraph said it rotates anticlockwise.
Second, why is there a one half in the expression of the angle of rotation? Is it because there are "two" pinions?

Any help would be appreciated!
 
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  • #2
If the "transporter" is turning to the right, its outer wheel, on the left turns faster which means that the lower of the two horizontal cogs turns faster. It, and so the pointer, will turn counterclockwise. And, yes, the "1/2" is there because of there are two wheels- the turning of the pointer is, as shown, the average of the two wheels.

By, the way, I see that this is from a book general relativity, but does this "transporter, itself, have anything to do with "relativity"?
 
  • #3
If it helps any, the pointer stub axle is fixed to the central horizontal stub axle, although that is not immediately apparent from the diagram. I assume the purpose of the device is to accurately parallel transport a vector over a curved manifold?
 

What is Lanchester's transportor?

Lanchester's transportor, also known as Lanchester's law or Lanchester's square law, is a mathematical model that predicts the outcome of a battle between two opposing forces based on their relative strengths and effectiveness.

Who was Lanchester and why is this model named after him?

Fredrick William Lanchester was a British engineer and mathematician who developed this model in 1916 during World War I. It is named after him because he was the first to apply this mathematical model to warfare.

How does Lanchester's transportor work?

Lanchester's transportor uses a set of differential equations to calculate the rate at which each opposing force will lose strength over time. This takes into account factors such as the size of each force, their relative effectiveness in combat, and any reinforcements or external factors that may affect the battle.

Is Lanchester's transportor still relevant today?

Yes, Lanchester's transportor is still widely used and studied in military strategy and operations research. It has also been applied to other fields such as business competition and sports analysis.

What are the limitations of Lanchester's transportor?

While Lanchester's transportor provides a useful framework for understanding the dynamics of battle, it is a simplified model and does not account for all the complexities of real-life conflicts. Factors such as terrain, morale, and strategic decisions may also play a significant role in determining the outcome of a battle.

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