Leonardo’s Rule, Self-Similarity, and Wind-Induced Stresses in Trees
- 12 December 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review Letters
- Vol. 107 (25), 258101
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.107.258101
Abstract
Examining botanical trees, Leonardo da Vinci noted that the total cross section of branches is conserved across branching nodes. In this Letter, it is proposed that this rule is a consequence of the tree skeleton having a self-similar structure and the branch diameters being adjusted to resist wind-induced loads. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.258101 © 2011 American Physical SocietyOther Versions
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