Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News Feature
  • Published:

The bicycle problem that nearly broke mathematics

Nature volume 535, pages 338–341 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

A Correction to this article was published on 03 August 2016

This article has been updated

Jim Papadopoulos has spent a lifetime pondering the maths of bikes in motion. Now his work has found fresh momentum.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Change history

  • 28 July 2016

    An earlier version of this story contained several biographical inaccuracies and did not give Jim Papadopoulos a chance to respond to the comment about his ability to finish things. The relevant sections have now been corrected; details are included in the accompanying PDF.

  • 03 August 2016

    A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/536017a

References

  1. Meijaard, J. P., Papadopoulos, J. M., Ruina, A. & Schwab, A. L. Proc. R. Soc. A 463, 1955–1982 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kooijman, J. D., G. Meijaard, J. P., Papadopoulos, J. M., Ruina, A. & Schwab, A. L. Science 332, 339–342 (2011).

    Article  CAS  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  3. Jones, D. E. H. Phys. Today 23(4), 34–40 (1970).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Papadopoulos, J. in Biomechanics in Sport: A 1987 Update (eds Rekow, R., Thacker, V. G. & Erdman, A. G.) 83–92 (Am. Soc. Mech. Eng., 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hess, R., Moore, J. K. & Hubbard, M. IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cy. A 42, 545–557 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Schwab, A. L., de Lange, P. D. L., Happee, R. & Moore, J. K. Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. K 227, 390–406 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Magnani, G., Ceriani, N. M. & Papadopoulos, J. 2013 IEEE Internatl Conf. Mechatronics 400–405 (2013).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brendan Borrell is a journalist in New York City.,

    Brendan Borrell

Authors
  1. Brendan Borrell
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

See Editorial page 324

Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Weibo Wechat

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

Time for physics to make its mark on cycling 2016-Jul-20

Sustainable mobility: Six research routes to steer transport policy 2015-Jul-01

Science at the Olympics: Team science 2012-Jul-18

Racing just to keep up 2011-Jul-15

Theoretical walker struts its energy-efficient stuff 2011-Jan-21

Injured robots learn to limp 2006-Nov-16

When is an ant like a bicycle? 2001-Oct-30

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Borrell, B. The bicycle problem that nearly broke mathematics. Nature 535, 338–341 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/535338a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/535338a

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing