I wonder if it is possible to characterize the class of
_gently falling_ functions, which I would like to define
as follows.
Let $g(x)$ be a $C^2$ function defined on an interval
$R \subseteq \mathbb{R}$ of the real line.
It will be no loss of generality for my purposes to
assume that $g(x) \ge 0$ on $R$,
and that $\max_{x \in R} \; g(x) = 1$.
Imagine placing a particle on the curve at any point
and letting it frictionlessly slide down the curve
under the influence of gravity
(with nominal gravitation constant 1).
Say that $g(x)$ is _gently falling_ if,
for every start point,
the particle never "ski-jumps off" the curve in its
downward descent.

_Example 1_.
$g(x) = \sqrt{1-x^2}$ for $R=[0,1]$ is not gently falling.
If I've calculated correctly, a particle starting near
the max $(0,1)$ will separate from the curve after falling
height $1/3$.
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![Two Functions][1]
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_Example 2_.
$g(x) = \cos^2(x)$ for $R=[0,\pi/2]$.
Under the assumptions above, I believe this is gently falling:
a particle released at any point remains on the curve throughout
its descent.

_Example 3_. (Added later.)
$g(x)$ is a scaled and translated piece of $\cos^2(x)$ for $x>2$, preceded by a linear ramp
tangent to $\cos^2(x)$:
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![Ski Ramp][2]
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Now a particle released at the max gathers enough momentum to lift off at the $x=2$ transition.
So $g(x)$ is not gently falling.

I've worked out a condition that (I think!)
needs to be satisfied for $g(x)$
to be gently falling, under my assumptions.
Let $g=g(x)$, $\dot{g} = dg/dx$, and $\ddot{g} = d^2g /dx^2$.
Then, for $g$ to be gently falling,
$$2 (1-g) \ddot{g} + (1 + \dot{g}^2) \ge 0$$
should be satisfied for all $x$.
For the quarter circle, the left side of this inequality becomes
$$
\frac{x^2}{1-x^2} - 2
   \left(\frac{x^2}{\left(1-x^2\right)^{3/2}}+\frac{1}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}
   \right)
   \left(1-\sqrt{1-x^2}\right)+1
$$
which simplifies to
$$
\frac{3}{1-x^2} -\frac{2}{\left(1-x^2\right)^{3/2}}
$$
which is positive for $x$ less than the root $\sqrt{5}/3 \approx 0.745$, in accord with the picture
above.  When I work out the calculation for the second example,
there are no roots within $R$.

I have two questions.
First, has anyone seen a curve definition like this before?
If so, even for tangentially related ideas, I'd appreciate a pointer.
Second, if my gently-falling inequality on $g$, or some
analogous inequality, is correct, are there general methods to characterize
all the functions $g$ that satisfy it?
Right now I can determine if any given function is gently falling,
but I don't have a sense for the contours of the set of all gently falling
functions.  Thanks for any ideas!

(The motivation for these questions is a bit far from their
form above, and it might distract from the mathematics to
explain.)


  [1]: http://cs.smith.edu/~orourke/MathOverflow/TwoFunctions.jpg
  [2]: http://cs.smith.edu/~orourke/MathOverflow/SkiRamp.jpg