On Woolhouse's Cotton-Spinning Problem
Logic in Computer Science
2024-08-26 v1
Abstract
In 1864 W.S.B. Woolhouse formulated the Cotton-Spinning problem. This problem boils down to the following. A piecer works at a spinning mule and walks back and forth to repair broken threads. The question is how far the piecer is expected to walk when the threads break at random. This problem can neatly be solved using process modelling and quantitative model checking, showing that Woolhouse's model led to an overestimation of the walking distance.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2408.12623,
title = {On Woolhouse's Cotton-Spinning Problem},
author = {Jan Friso Groote and Tim A. C. Willemse},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2408.12623},
year = {2024}
}
Comments
11 pages