Paper 2, Section II, I

Differential Geometry | Part II, 2020

(a) State the fundamental theorem for regular curves in R3\mathbb{R}^{3}.

(b) Let α:RR3\alpha: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^{3} be a regular curve, parameterised by arc length, such that its image α(R)R3\alpha(\mathbb{R}) \subset \mathbb{R}^{3} is a one-dimensional submanifold. Suppose that the set α(R)\alpha(\mathbb{R}) is preserved by a nontrivial proper Euclidean motion ϕ:R3R3\phi: \mathbb{R}^{3} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^{3}.

Show that there exists σ0R\sigma_{0} \in \mathbb{R} corresponding to ϕ\phi such that ϕ(α(s))=α(±s+σ0)\phi(\alpha(s))=\alpha\left(\pm s+\sigma_{0}\right) for all sRs \in \mathbb{R}, where the choice of ±sign\pm \operatorname{sign} is independent of ss. Show also that the curvature k(s)k(s) and torsion τ(s)\tau(s) of α\alpha satisfy

k(±s+σ0)=k(s) and τ(±s+σ0)=τ(s)\begin{gathered} k\left(\pm s+\sigma_{0}\right)=k(s) \text { and } \\ \tau\left(\pm s+\sigma_{0}\right)=\tau(s) \end{gathered}

with equation (2) valid only for ss such that k(s)>0k(s)>0. In the case where the sign is ++ and σ0=0\sigma_{0}=0, show that α(R)\alpha(\mathbb{R}) is a straight line.

(c) Give an explicit example of a curve α\alpha satisfying the requirements of (b) such that neither of k(s)k(s) and τ(s)\tau(s) is a constant function, and such that the curve α\alpha is closed, i.e. such that α(s)=α(s+s0)\alpha(s)=\alpha\left(s+s_{0}\right) for some s0>0s_{0}>0 and all ss. [Here a drawing would suffice.]

(d) Suppose now that α:RR3\alpha: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^{3} is an embedded regular curve parameterised by arc length ss. Suppose further that k(s)>0k(s)>0 for all ss and that k(s)k(s) and τ(s)\tau(s) satisfy (1) and (2) for some σ0\sigma_{0}, where the choice ±\pm is independent of ss, and where σ00\sigma_{0} \neq 0 in the case of + sign. Show that there exists a nontrivial proper Euclidean motion ϕ\phi such that the set α(R)\alpha(\mathbb{R}) is preserved by ϕ\phi. [You may use the theorem of part (a) without proof.]

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