First-principles theoretical explanation of the Magnus effect for baseball

Derive a first-principles theoretical model that explains and quantitatively predicts the Magnus effect experienced by a spinning baseball across relevant Reynolds numbers and spin factors, reducing reliance on empirical fits for the lift coefficient and experimental calibration.

Background

The paper summarizes established empirical modeling of the Magnus effect in baseball, including the use of an empirically determined lift coefficient dependent on the spin factor. Despite extensive experimental validation, it notes the absence of a fully developed first-principles theory for this effect in the baseball context.

This gap highlights a fundamental theoretical problem: connecting the observed aerodynamic lift on a spinning baseball with a predictive, physics-derived model rather than relying primarily on empirical relationships.