Paper 3, Section II, E

Geometry | Part IB, 2021

Let SR3S \subset \mathbb{R}^{3} be an embedded smooth surface and γ:[0,1]S\gamma:[0,1] \rightarrow S a parameterised smooth curve on SS. What is the energy of γ\gamma ? By applying the Euler-Lagrange equations for stationary curves to the energy function, determine the differential equations for geodesics on SS explicitly in terms of a parameterisation of SS.

If SS contains a straight line \ell, prove from first principles that each segment [P,Q][P, Q] \subset \ell (with some parameterisation) is a geodesic on SS.

Let HR3H \subset \mathbb{R}^{3} be the hyperboloid defined by the equation x2+y2z2=1x^{2}+y^{2}-z^{2}=1 and let P=(x0,y0,z0)HP=\left(x_{0}, y_{0}, z_{0}\right) \in H. By considering appropriate isometries, or otherwise, display explicitly three distinct (as subsets of HH ) geodesics γ:RH\gamma: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow H through PP in the case when z00z_{0} \neq 0 and four distinct geodesics through PP in the case when z0=0z_{0}=0. Justify your answer.

Let γ:RH\gamma: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow H be a geodesic, with coordinates γ(t)=(x(t),y(t),z(t))\gamma(t)=(x(t), y(t), z(t)). Clairaut's relation asserts ρ(t)sinψ(t)\rho(t) \sin \psi(t) is constant, where ρ(t)=x(t)2+y(t)2\rho(t)=\sqrt{x(t)^{2}+y(t)^{2}} and ψ(t)\psi(t) is the angle between γ˙(t)\dot{\gamma}(t) and the plane through the point γ(t)\gamma(t) and the zz-axis. Deduce from Clairaut's relation that there exist infinitely many geodesics γ(t)\gamma(t) on HH which stay in the half-space {z>0}\{z>0\} for all tRt \in \mathbb{R}.

[You may assume that if γ(t)\gamma(t) satisfies the geodesic equations on HH then γ\gamma is defined for all tRt \in \mathbb{R} and the Euclidean norm γ˙(t)\|\dot{\gamma}(t)\| is constant. If you use a version of the geodesic equations for a surface of revolution, then that should be proved.]

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