MATH3968 Lecture 3: DR Emma Carberry 30 July 2009

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 3

MATH3968 Lecture 3

Dr Emma Carberry
30 July 2009

Last Lecture

• A parameterised smooth curve α : I → Rn is regular if α0 (t) 6= 0 for all t ∈ I.


• regularity is necessary and sufficient in order that α may be reparameterised by arc-length.
• the curvature of a regular curve at a point is the magnitude of the acceleration needed to transverse
it at unit speed.

• signed curvature is positive for , negative for .

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

t(s) = α0 (s) = (cos(θ(s)), sin(θ(s))).

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

k0 (s) = .
ds

1
• Henceforth, we shall assume that our curves are at most in R3 .
• Define
b(s) = t(s) × n(s).

• Note: do Carmo uses ∧ for ×.

• (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 .

n0 = At + Bn + Cb for some functions A, B, C.


Differentiating n · n = 1 gives n0 · n = 0 so B = 0.
Differentiating t · n = 0 gives A = t · n0 = −t0 · n = −k.
Differentiating b · n = 0 gives C = b · n0 = −b0 · n = −τ .
The Frenet equations summarise these relations:
 0    
t k t
 n0  =  −k −τ   n  .
0
b τ b

Theorem 2 (Fundamental Existence and Uniqueness Theorem for Curves). 1. If k : I → R+ and


τ : I → R are smooth functions, then there exists a regular parameterised curve α : I → R3 with
curvature k and torsion τ .
2. α is unique up to rigid motion; if α̃ is another regular parameterised curve with the same curvature
and torsion, then they differ by a rigid motion of R3 ,

i.e. α̃ = ρ · α + c

for some special orthogonal transformation ρ : R3 → R3 and constant vector c.

• Orthogonal: preserves inner product; represented by an O(3) matrix.


• Special orthogonal: also preserves orientation, i.e. has positive determinant; represented by an
SO(3) matrix (det = 1).

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

t

α̃(s0 )

I.e. translation c = α̃(s0 ) − Aα(s0 ), and the solution to

(t̃ ñ b̃) = A(t n b)

is
A = (t̃ ñ b̃)(t n b)−1 .
Then our rigid motion is

ψ: R3 → R3
x 7→ Ax + c.

We show: ψα(s) = α̃(s) for all s ∈ I.


Use the Frenet equations to prove that the norm of the difference between these two frames
is constant, and therefore must vanish since it is zero at s = s0 :
d
(|A(t) − t̃|2 + |A(n) − ñ|2 + |A(b) − b̃|2 )
ds
= 2(A(t) − t̃) · (A(t) − t̃)0 + 2(A(n) − ñ) · (A(n) − ñ)0
+ 2(A(b) − b̃) · (A(b) − b̃)0

= 2 k(A(t) − t̃) · (A(n) − ñ) − k(A(n) − ñ) · (A(t) − t̃)

− τ (A(n) − ñ) · (A(b) − b̃) + τ (A(b) − b̃) · (A(n) − ñ)
= 0.

Therefore A(t(s)) = t̃(s), A(n(s)) = ñ(s) and A(b(s)) = b̃(s).


Similarly the difference ψα(s) − α̃(s) must vanish:

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

• Geometric definition of curvature using circles;


dθ(s)
• k0 (s) = ;
ds
• Frenet equations giving derivative of Frenet frame (t, n, b);

• There exists a regular curve with any given smooth curvature and torsion, and this curve is unique
up to rigid motions.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy