Re: A Problem To Solve :-)

In sci.physics Farley Flud <ff@linux.rocks> wrote:

On Sun, 31 Mar 2024 19:40:02 -0500, Physfitfreak wrote:
 

 
If the missile computes that 5 fighter jets at time t will exactly be at
these coordinates in the sky:
 
Jet 1: (4.38 km, 3.9 km, 8.1 km)
Jet 2: (5.23 km, 9.61 km, 4.74 km)
Jet 3: (6.93 km, 6.01 km, 6.88 km)
Jet 4: (8.32 km, 2.12 km, 2.5 km)
Jet 5: (2.53 km, 4.23 km, 5.82 km)
 
then answer the following 2 questions:
 
1- what would be the coordinates of the point in the sky, that the
missile with the weakest warhead needs to explode at, at time t, to
damage all those 5 fighter jets critically enough?
 
2- within what minimum radius of that explosion, any fighter jet would
get critically damaged at time t?
>

 
AFAIK, this is a very difficult problem.'

It is a set of three dimensional differential equations that depend on
the current position and velocity of the missile and the target.

 
But algorithms have recently been developed.  The best one is, of
course, implemented in FOSS:

The equations have been well known prior to 1945 and originally
were solved in real time by  purpose designed vacuum tube analog
computers.

See the history of Project Nike, officially formed on 8 February 1945.