2023/03/01 by Erik Horsdal, Horsdal, Erik
Engineering · Materials Science · Mathematics · #Applied mathematics #Artificial intelligence #Artillery #Classical Physics (physics.class-ph) #Computer science #Counterweight #Electromagnetic Launch and Propulsion Technology #Energetic Materials and Combustion #Engineering #Expression (computer science) #FOS: Physical sciences #Function (biology) #Geometry #High-Velocity Impact and Material Behavior #Mathematical economics #Mathematics #Mechanical engineering #Physics #Popular Physics (physics.pop-ph) #Quality (philosophy) #Scaling #Siege #Simple (philosophy)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2303.01306
published in arXiv (Cornell University) (Cornell University)
openalex publication_date 2023/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The swinging counterweight trebuchet was at its full blossom in the Late Middle Ages an artillery piece of great importance that could destroy the defenses of castles under siege by bombardment with stones from considerable distances. The exact dimensions of these engines are unfortunately unknown, but would have been valuable for an assessment of the true significance of the weapon. Presumed dimensions derived from interpreted historical accounts must be tested and examined critically. This has been done by full-scale experimental reconstructions or by~ad hoc theoretical estimates. A more systematic approach is made possible by the present theory, which is based on a mathematical quality function for the trebuchet. This function can be maximized and the maximizing design parameters are by definition the optimal parameters. A simple analytical expression for these optimal parameters is given.