A large panel needs to be moved through a corridor, the panel is tall as the corridor. The corridor is A feet wide before a right angle turn, after the turn, it is B feet wide. What is the maximum length of the panel that can pass through this corner.

Overhead view of the hallway:

+------------+---
|           /   |
|          /    |B ft
|         /     |
|        /+------
|       / |
|      /  |
|     /   |
|    /    |
|   /     |
|  /      |
| /       |
|/        |
+<-A ft-->|

The longest it can be is if it's 45 degrees to the N & W wall while still touching the corner. So...

sq(2a^2) + sq(2b^2)

Edited on May 26, 2004, 3:26 pm

Posted by Danny on 2004-05-26 14:20:15