A non-iterative transformation method for Newton's free boundary problem

In book II of Newton's Principia Mathematica of 1687 several applicative problems are introduced and solved. There, we can find the formulation of the first calculus of variations problem that leads to the first free boundary problem of history. The general calculus of variations problem is concerned with the optimal shape design for the motion of projectiles subject to air resistance. Here, for Newton's optimal nose cone free boundary problem, we define a non-iterative initial value method which is referred in the literature as a transformation method. To define this method we apply invariance properties of Newton's free boundary problem under a scaling group of point transformations. Finally, we compare our non-iterative numerical results with those available in the literature and obtained via an iterative shooting method. We emphasize that our non-iterative method is faster than shooting or collocation methods and does not need any preliminary computation to test the target function as the iterative method or even provide any initial iterate. Moreover, applying Buckingham Pi-Theorem we get the functional relation between the unknown free boundary and the nose cone radius and height. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.