Problems

Two non-parallel lines in 3-dimensional space are given by \(\mathbf{r}=\mathbf{p}_{1}+t_{1}\mathbf{m}_{1}\) and \(\mathbf{r}=\mathbf{p}_{2}+t_{2}\mathbf{m}_{2}\) respectively, where \(\mathbf{m}_{1}\) and \(\mathbf{m}_{2}\) are unit vectors. Explain by means of a sketch why the shortest distance between the two lines is \[ \frac{\left|(\mathbf{p}_{1}-\mathbf{p}_{2})\cdot(\mathbf{m}_{1}\times\mathbf{m}_{2})\right|}{\left|(\mathbf{m}_{1}\times\mathbf{m}_{2})\right|}. \]

1. Find the shortest distance between the lines in the case \[ \mathbf{p}_{1}=(2,1,-1)\qquad\mathbf{p}_{2}=(1,0,-2)\qquad\mathbf{m}_{1}=\tfrac{1}{5}(4,3,0)\qquad\mathbf{m}_{2}=\tfrac{1}{\sqrt{10}}(0,-3,1). \]
2. Two aircraft, \(A_{1}\) and \(A_{2},\) are flying in the directions given by the unit vectors \(\mathbf{m}_{1}\) and \(\mathbf{m}_{2}\) at constant speeds \(v_{1}\) and \(v_{2}.\) At time \(t=0\) they pass the points \(\mathbf{p}_{1}\) and \(\mathbf{p}_{2}\), respectively. If \(d\) is the shortest distance between the two aircraft during the flight, show that \[ d^{2}=\frac{\left|\mathbf{p}_{1}-\mathbf{p}_{2}\right|^{2}\left|v_{1}\mathbf{m}_{1}-v_{2}\mathbf{m}_{2}\right|^{2}-[(\mathbf{p}_{1}-\mathbf{p}_{2})\cdot(v_{1}\mathbf{m}_{1}-v_{2}\mathbf{m}_{2})]^{2}}{\left|v_{1}\mathbf{m}_{1}-v_{2}\mathbf{m}_{2}\right|^{2}}. \]
3. Suppose that \(v_{1}\) is fixed. The pilot of \(A_{2}\) has chosen \(v_{2}\) so that \(A_{2}\) comes as close as possible to \(A_{1}.\) How close is that, if \(\mathbf{p}_{1},\mathbf{p}_{2},\mathbf{m}_{1}\) and \(\mathbf{m}_{2}\) are as in (i)?