PC2 (2023/2024)

Geometry 2
Exercise Set 02

1. A curve in R3 is given by the parametrization

t3
 
α(t) = 2t cos t, 2t sin t, , t ∈ R.
3

(a) Find the length of the curve between t = 0 and t = 2.

(b) Find the parametric equations of the tangent line to the curve at t = π.

2. A particle moves along the curve Γ of intersection of the surfaces z 2 = 12y and 18x = yz in
the upward direction. When the particle is at (1, 3, 6) its velocity v and acceleration a are
given by v = (6, 12, 12) , a = (27, 30, 6).
z
(a) Write a vector parametric equation for Γ using u = 6 as a parameter.
(b) Find the length of Γ from the origin to (1, 3, 6).
du
(c) If u = u(t) is the parameter value for the particle’s position at time t, find dt when the
particle is at (1, 3, 6).
d2 u
(d) Find dt2
when the particle is at (1, 3, 6).

3. Let 0A = 2a be the diameter of a circle S 1 and 0y and AV be the tangents to S 1 at 0 and A,

respectively.A half-line r is drawn from 0 which meets the circle S 1 at C and the line AV at
B. On 0B mark off the segment 0p = CB. If we rotate r about 0, the point p will describe
a curve called the cissoid of Diocles. By taking 0A as the x axis and 0Y as the y axis, prove
that
 2 
2at 2at3
(a) The trace of α(t) = 1+t ,
2 1+t2 , t ∈ R is the Cissoid of Diocles (t = tan θ where
θ = OB,
\ OA).
(b) The origin (0, 0) is a singular point of the Cissoid.
(c) As t → ∞, α(t) approaches the line x = 2a, and α0 (t) → (0, 2a). Thus, as t → ∞, the
curve and its tangent approach the line x = 2a; we say that x = 2a is an asymptote to
the cissoid.

4. Calculate the Frenet frame {T, n, b}, the curvature k and the torsion τ of the parametrized
curve p p 
α : t ∈ R −→ 1 + t2 , t, ln(t + 1 + t2 ) ∈ R3 .

5. One often gives a plane curve in polar coordinates by ρ = ρ(θ), a ≤ θ ≤ b.

(a) Show that the arc length is

Z bp
ρ2 + (ρ0 )2 dθ,
a
where the prime denotes the derivative relative to θ.
(b) Show that the curvature is

2(ρ0 )2 − ρρ00 + ρ2
k(θ) = .
((ρ0 )2 + ρ2 )3/2
 6. Let α : I → R3 be a regular parametrized curve (not necessarily by arc length).

(a) Prove that the curvature k and the torsion τ are given by
kα0 ∧ α00 k hα0 ∧ α00 , α000 i
k(t) = , τ (t) = − , t ∈ I.
kα0 k3 kα0 ∧ α00 k2

(b) If α : I → R2 is a plane curve α(t) = (x(t), y(t)), the signed curvature of α at t is

x0 y 00 − x00 y 0
k(t) = .
((x0 )2 + (y 02 )3/2

7. Let α : I → R3 a be a regular parametrized curve by arc length. Assume that τ (s) 6= 0 and
k(s) 6= 0 for all s ∈ I. We note R = 1/k and δ = 1/τ .

(a) Show that if α(I) is lie (plotted) on a sphere, then

R2 + (R0 )2 δ 2 = const..

where R0 is the derivative of R relative to s.

(b) We suppose conversely that R2 + (R0 )2 δ 2 = const.. Show that α(s) + R(s)n(s) −
R0 (s)δ(s)b(s) is constant, and deduce that α(I) is drawn on a sphere.

8. Let α : (a, b) −→ R3 be a regular parametrized curve by arc length. Assume that there exists
s0 ∈ I, kα(s)k ≤ kα(s0 )k for all s in a neighborhood of s0 . Show that
1
k(s0 ) ≥ .
kα(s0 )k

9. In general, a curve α is called a helix if the tangent lines of α make a constant angle with a
fixed direction. Assume that τ (s) 6= 0, s ∈ I , and prove that:

(a) α is a helix if and only if k/τ is constant.

(b) The curve  Z Z 
a a b
α(s) = sin θ(s)ds, cos θ(s)ds, s
c c c
where c2 = a2 + b2 , is a helix, and that k/τ = ab .

Supplementary exercises

10. Let Γ be the part of the curve of intersection of the parabolic cylinder x = y 2 and the
hyperbolic paraboloid 3z = 2xy with y ≥ 0.

(a) Write a vector parametric equation for Γ using x as the parameter.

(b) Find the length of the part of Γ between the origin and the point (9, 3, 18) .
(c) A particle moves along Γ in the direction x for which is increasing. If the particle moves
with constant speed 9, find its velocity vector when it is at the point (1, 1, 23 ).
(d) Find the acceleration vector of the particle of part Γ when it is at the point (1, 1, 23 ).

11. Let α : (0, π) −→ R2 be given by

 
t
α(t) = sin t, cos t + ln tan ,
2
where t is the angle that the y axis makes with the vector α0 (t). The trace of α is called the
tractrix. Show that

2
 (a) α is a differentiable parametrized curve, regular except at t = π2 .
(b) The length of the segment of the tangent of the tractrix between the point of tangency
and the y axis is constantly equal to 1.

12. Consider the map

2
 (t, 0, e−1/t ), t > 0

2
α(t) = (t, e−1/t , 0), t < 0

(0, 0, 0), t = 0.

(a) Prove that α is a differentiable curve.

p
(b) Prove that α is regular for all t and that the curvature k(t) 6= 0, for t ∈
/ {0, ± 2/3}
and k(0) = 0.
(c) Show that the limit of the osculating planes as t → 0, t > 0, is the plane y = 0 but that
the limit of the osculating planes as t → 0, t < 0, is the plane z = 0 (this implies that
the normal vector is discontinuous at t = 0 and shows why we excluded points where
k = 0).
(d) Show that τ can be defined so that τ ≡ 0, even though α is not a plane curve.

13. Let α : I −→ R3 be a differentiable curve and let [a, b] ⊂ I be a P closed interval. For every
partition a = t0 < t1 < . . . < tn = b of [a, b], consider the sum ni=1 ||α(ti ) − α(ti−1 )|| =
l(α, P ), where P stands for the given partition. The norm |P | of a partition P is defined as
|P | = max(ti − ti−1 ), i = 1, . . . , n.
Geometrically, l(α, P ) is the length of a polygon inscribed in α([a, b]) with vertices in α(ti ).
The point of the exercise is to show that the arc length of α([a, b]) is, in some sense, a limit
of lengths of inscribed polygons.
Prove that given ε > 0 there exists δ > 0 such that if |P | < δ then
Z b
||α0 (t)||dt − l(α, P ) < ε.
a