4 ms·
As you correctly point out the problem is entirely symmetrical to that of keeping a hot beverage as hot as possible. If we take the different problem of trying
by joaquintides 12y ago
As you correctly point out the problem is entirely symmetrical to that of keeping a hot beverage as hot as possible. If we take the different problem of trying to cool a hot beverage, the optimum, pathological solution would be a glass with 0 height and infinite width --studying this problem with the additional constraint that width be limited to some predefined value might make for an interesting followup article.
- Someone 12y agoI would add the constraint that the surface is convex, too. Without that, one could build some 3D fractal, and get infinite area for any given volume. Alternatively, complicate things by taking the width of the glass into account or model convection more realistically (a square meter of glass close to other glass of similar temperature will not lose much heat)