Definition:Epicycloid/Generator/Deferent
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Definition
Let an epicycloid be generated by rolling a circle $C_1$ around the outside of another circle $C_2$.
The circle $C_2$ can be referred to as the deferent of the epicycloid.
Also known as
A deferent is also known as a stator.
This term has been taken by $\mathsf{Pr} \infty \mathsf{fWiki}$ from the children's toy Spirograph, which itself was taken from the term stator as applied to the static part of a rotary machine.
Also see
Linguistic Note
The term deferent was used by Apollonius of Perga in his exposition on epicycloids.
Sources
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): epicycloid
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): epicycloid