On the minimization of the product of the powers of several integrals

This paper considers the minimization of the product of the powers ofn integrals, each of which depends on a functiony(x) and its derivative . The necessary conditions for the extremum are derived within the frame of the Mayer-Bolza formulation of the calculus of variations, and it is shown that the extremal arc is governed by a second-order differential equation involvingn undetermined multipliers related to the unknown values of the integrals. After the general solution is combined with the definitions of the multipliers and the end conditions, a system ofn+2 algebraic equations is obtained; it involvesn+2 unknowns, that is, then undetermined multipliers and two integration constants.The procedure discussed here can be employed in the study of shapes which are aerodynamically optimum at supersonic, hypersonic, and free-molecular flow velocities, that is, wings and fuselages having the maximum lift-to-drag ratio or the minimum drag. The problem of a slender body of revolution having the minimum pressure drag in Newtonian hypersonic flow is developed as an example. First, a general solution is derived for any pair of conditions imposed on the length, the thickness, the wetted area, and the volume. Then, a particular case is treated, that in which the thickness and the wetted area are given, while the length and the volume are free; the shape minimizing the pressure drag is a cone.This research, supported by the Office of Scientific Research, Office of Aerospace Research, United States Air Force, Grant No. AF-AFOSR-828-67, is a condensed version of the investigation described in Ref. 1. The author is indebted to Messrs. H. Y. Huang, J. C. Heideman, and J. N. Damoulakis for analytical and numerical assistance.