Ludwig Burmester
Encyclopedia
Ludwig Ernst Hans Burmester (5 May 1840 – 20 April 1927) was a German
kinematician
and geometer.
His doctoral thesis Über die Elemente einer Theorie der Isophoten (About the elements of a theory of isophotes) concerned lines on a surface defined by light direction. After a period as a teacher in Lodz
he became professor of synthetic geometry at Dresden
where his growing interest in kinematics culminated in his Lehrbuch der Kinematik, Erster Band, Die ebene Bewegung (Textbook of Kinematics, First Volume, Planar Motion) of 1888, developing the approach to the theory of linkages introduced by Franz Reuleaux
, whereby a planar mechanism was understood as a collection of Euclidean planes in relative motion with one degree of freedom. Burmester considered both the theory of planar kinematics and practically all actual mechanisms known in his time. In doing so, Burmester developed Burmester theory which applies projective geometry
to the loci of points on planes moving in straight lines and in circles, where any motion may be understood in relation to four Burmester points.
The Burmester linkage of 1888 is a four bar linkage part of whose coupler curve is an approximately straight line (see also Watt's linkage
).
A French curve
may also be known as a Burmester curve.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
kinematician
Kinematics
Kinematics is the branch of classical mechanics that describes the motion of bodies and systems without consideration of the forces that cause the motion....
and geometer.
His doctoral thesis Über die Elemente einer Theorie der Isophoten (About the elements of a theory of isophotes) concerned lines on a surface defined by light direction. After a period as a teacher in Lodz
Lódz
Łódź is the third-largest city in Poland. Located in the central part of the country, it had a population of 742,387 in December 2009. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is approximately south-west of Warsaw...
he became professor of synthetic geometry at Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
where his growing interest in kinematics culminated in his Lehrbuch der Kinematik, Erster Band, Die ebene Bewegung (Textbook of Kinematics, First Volume, Planar Motion) of 1888, developing the approach to the theory of linkages introduced by Franz Reuleaux
Franz Reuleaux
Franz Reuleaux , was a mechanical engineer and a lecturer of the Berlin Royal Technical Academy, later appointed as the President of the Academy. He was often called the father of kinematics...
, whereby a planar mechanism was understood as a collection of Euclidean planes in relative motion with one degree of freedom. Burmester considered both the theory of planar kinematics and practically all actual mechanisms known in his time. In doing so, Burmester developed Burmester theory which applies projective geometry
Projective geometry
In mathematics, projective geometry is the study of geometric properties that are invariant under projective transformations. This means that, compared to elementary geometry, projective geometry has a different setting, projective space, and a selective set of basic geometric concepts...
to the loci of points on planes moving in straight lines and in circles, where any motion may be understood in relation to four Burmester points.
The Burmester linkage of 1888 is a four bar linkage part of whose coupler curve is an approximately straight line (see also Watt's linkage
Watt's linkage
Watt's linkage is a type of mechanical linkage invented by James Watt in which the central moving point of the linkage is constrained to travel on an approximation to a straight line...
).
A French curve
French curve
A French curve is a template made out of metal, wood or plastic composed of many different curves. It is used in manual drafting to draw smooth curves of varying radii....
may also be known as a Burmester curve.