- #1
Rupert Young
- 28
- 2
I'm a bit confused by the physics of the mountain car problem.
The problem concerns driving an underpowered car up a mountain.
I had expected that the car would be able drive up to a point where the forward force due to acceleration is equal to the opposing force due to gravity and that the car would then just stop.
However, I am finding that the car falls back down and goes up the other slope, and continues to oscillates in that way.
What am I misunderstanding?
Here are the equations.
The landscape curve is given by, cos(3*(x+(pi/2))), where x is the position.
And,
Velocity = Velocity + (Action) * 0.001 + cos(3 * Position) * (-0.0025)
Position = Position + Velocity
where Action = 1
and starting position = -0.5, which is the bottom of the valley.
The problem concerns driving an underpowered car up a mountain.
I had expected that the car would be able drive up to a point where the forward force due to acceleration is equal to the opposing force due to gravity and that the car would then just stop.
However, I am finding that the car falls back down and goes up the other slope, and continues to oscillates in that way.
What am I misunderstanding?
Here are the equations.
The landscape curve is given by, cos(3*(x+(pi/2))), where x is the position.
And,
Velocity = Velocity + (Action) * 0.001 + cos(3 * Position) * (-0.0025)
Position = Position + Velocity
where Action = 1
and starting position = -0.5, which is the bottom of the valley.