Paper 2, Section II, I

Differential Geometry | Part II, 2011

Let α:IR3\alpha: I \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^{3} be a smooth curve parametrized by arc-length, with α(s)0\alpha^{\prime \prime}(s) \neq 0 for all sIs \in I. Define what is meant by the Frenet frame t(s),n(s),b(s)t(s), n(s), b(s), the curvature and torsion of α\alpha. State and prove the Frenet formulae.

By considering α,t×n\langle\alpha, t \times n\rangle, or otherwise, show that, if for each sIs \in I the vectors α(s)\alpha(s), t(s)t(s) and n(s)n(s) are linearly dependent, then α(s)\alpha(s) is a plane curve.

State and prove the isoperimetric inequality for C1C^{1} regular plane curves.

[You may assume Wirtinger's inequality, provided you state it accurately.]

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