MATH3968 Lecture 3: DR Emma Carberry 30 July 2009
MATH3968 Lecture 3: DR Emma Carberry 30 July 2009
MATH3968 Lecture 3: DR Emma Carberry 30 July 2009
Dr Emma Carberry
30 July 2009
Last Lecture
We can think geometrically of finding the curvature of a plane curve by considering the family of
circles tangent to it at s.
α(s)
α
All of these circles fit the curve α to first-order at s. k(s) is the curvature of the (unique) circle that fits
α to second order at s.
For a curve α in the plane, its unit tangent is given by
n0 (s) t(s)
θ(s)
Then
π π
n0 (s) = cos θ(s) + , sin θ(s) + = (− sin θ(s), cos θ(s))
2 2
dα0 (s) dθ dθ
α00 (s) = = (− sin θ(s), cos θ(s))
dθ ds ds
so
dθ
k0 (s) = .
ds
1
• Henceforth, we shall assume that our curves are at most in R3 .
• Define
b(s) = t(s) × n(s).
• (t(s), n(s), b(s)) (tangent, normal, bi-normal) is called the Frenet frame of α.
Lemma 1.
b0 (s) = τ (s)n(s)
for some function τ , which we shall call the torsion of α at s.
Proof. Differentiating b · b = 1 gives b0 (s) · b(s) = 0. Differentiating 0 = t · b gives
0 = t0 · b + t · b0 = n · b + t · b0 = t · b0 .
i.e. α̃ = ρ · α + c
Proof
Do 1.5, exercise 6 (p23), do Carmo to convince yourself that arc-length, curvature and torsion are
invariant under rigid motions.
Uniqueness. Suppose α, α̃ : I → R3 have the same curvature and torsion. Fix s0 ∈ I; there is a
rigid motion which transforms α(s0 ) to α̃(s0 ) and takes the Frenet frame of α at s0 to that
of α̃ at s0 .
2
b
n α(s0 ) ñ
b̃
t
t̃
α̃(s0 )
is
A = (t̃ ñ b̃)(t n b)−1 .
Then our rigid motion is
ψ: R3 → R3
x 7→ Ax + c.
d
(ψα(s) − α̃(s)) = A(t) − ˜(t) = 0,
ds
so ψα(s) − α̃(s) is constant, and hence equal to ψα(s0 ) − α̃(s0 ) = 0.
Existence. The proof uses the existence (and uniqueness) theorem for solutions of ordinary differential
equations and we omit it. Section 1.5, exercise 9 (p24), do Carmo does this result in the plane and he
has the full proof in the appendix to chapter 4.
Lecture Summary
• There exists a regular curve with any given smooth curvature and torsion, and this curve is unique
up to rigid motions.
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