Frenet-Serre Frames and circles.

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the relationship between unit-speed curves and Frenet-Serre frames, specifically addressing the condition under which all normal lines to a curve C(t) meet at a common point, indicating that C(t) is part of a circle. The user highlights the challenge of defining a unique tangent plane for curves, which complicates the identification of the plane containing the normal vector N. The user also explores a counterexample involving the embedding of a curve in S^2, which suggests that the tangent space of the curve is a subspace of the tangent space of S^2.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Frenet-Serre frames (T, N, B) in differential geometry
  • Knowledge of unit-speed curves and curvature (k ≠ 0)
  • Familiarity with tangent spaces and their properties in Riemannian geometry
  • Basic concepts of embedding curves in surfaces, particularly S^2
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the properties of Frenet-Serre frames in detail
  • Explore the implications of curvature on the geometry of curves
  • Investigate the concept of tangent spaces in Riemannian manifolds
  • Examine examples of curves embedded in surfaces, focusing on S^2
USEFUL FOR

Mathematicians, physicists, and students of differential geometry interested in the geometric properties of curves and their relationships with surfaces.

WWGD
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Hi, everyone:

I am trying to show this:

Given C(t) a unit-speed curve, using the usual Frenet-Serre frames T,N,B. Define the normal lines to C(t) to be the lines extending N, i.e, line segments containing N.
Then:

If all normal lines meet at a common point,
C(t) must be part of a circle.

Problem is that for curves, unlike for surfaces,
tangent plane is not defined , meaning that there
is no unique direction, no unique plane containing all
derivatives thru a point ; I know N is perpen-
dicular to T , by the first F-S equation, together
with the fact that <T,T>=1 (by unit speed; k is
curvature, assume k =/0):

T'=kN

<T,T>=1-> 2<T',T>=0


But there is a planeful worth of perpendiculars
to T', so I don't know how to tell which plane
contains N.

I tried to shift the axes so that the normals
meet at the origin, but I still cannot see it.

I thought I had found a counterexample, by
embedding a curve in S^2 , so that the tangent
space of the curve is a subspace of the tangent
space to S^2. Then I used the fact that the
normals to S^2 meet at the origin.



I showed this to a friend, who told me only
that my counterexample was worth 2 Kourics
(S.Park), and I am back to the drawing board.

Thanks for any ideas.
 

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