1696年6月瑞士数学家约翰·贝努利在 《教师学报》杂志上刊登了一个问题,向当时著 名的数学家挑战．这个问题是:“设想在地面上 不同高度的两个点A和B,并且不要让其中一 个点直接位于另一个点的上方．现有一个质点 只在重力的作用下由A点向较低的B点下滑 (不考虑摩擦),那么质点沿着什么样的曲线下 滑所需时间最短?”他称这条曲线为“最速降 线”．上述问题被人们称为最速降线问题． June 1696 Swiss mathematician John Bernoulli published a problem in The Journal of the Journals and challenged the well-known mathematicians of the day. The question is: “Imagine two points A and B at different heights on the ground, and do not let one of them point directly above the other.” The existing one is only moving from point A to the lower under gravity B point down (without considering the friction), then the particle along what kind of curve down the shortest time? “He called the curve of” the most rapid drop line. " The above problem is known as the fastest drop line problem.