VECTOR FUNCTIONS13

13.3Arc Length and CurvatureIn this section, we will learn how to find:The arc length of a curve and its curvature.VECTOR FUNCTIONS

PLANE CURVE LENGTHIn Section 10.2, we defined the length of a plane curve with parametric equations x = f(t), y = g(t), a t b as the limit of lengths of inscribed polygons.

PLANE CURVE LENGTH Formula 1 For the case where f and g are continuous, we arrived at the following formula:

SPACE CURVE LENGTHThe length of a space curve is defined in exactly the same way.

SPACE CURVE LENGTHSuppose that the curve has the vector equation r(t) = , a t b

Equivalently, it could have the parametric equations x = f(t), y = g(t), z = h(t) where f, g and h are continuous.

SPACE CURVE LENGTHIf the curve is traversed exactly once as t increases from a to b, then it can be shown that its length is:Formula 2

ARC LENGTHNotice that both the arc length formulas 1 and 2 can be put into the more compact formFormula 3

ARC LENGTHThat is because:

For plane curves r(t) = f(t) i + g(t) j

For space curves r(t) = f(t) i + g(t) j + h(t) k

ARC LENGTHFind the length of the arc of the circular helix with vector equation r(t) = cos t i + sin t j + t k from the point (1, 0, 0) to the point (1, 0, 2).Example 1

ARC LENGTHSince r(t) = -sin t i + cos t j + k, we have:Example 1

ARC LENGTHThe arc from (1, 0, 0) to (1, 0, 2) is described by the parameter interval 0 t 2.

So, from Formula 3, we have:Example 1

ARC LENGTHA single curve C can be represented by more than one vector function.

ARC LENGTHFor instance, the twisted cubic r1(t) = 1 t 2 could also be represented by the function r2(u) = 0 u ln 2

The connection between the parameters t and u is given by t = eu.Equations 4 & 5

PARAMETRIZATIONWe say that Equations 4 and 5 are parametrizations of the curve C.

PARAMETRIZATIONIf we were to use Equation 3 to compute the length of C using Equations 4 and 5, we would get the same answer.

In general, it can be shown that, when Equation 3 is used to compute arc length, the answer is independent of the parametrization that is used.

ARC LENGTHNow, we suppose that C is a curve given by a vector functionr(t) = f(t) i + g(t) j + h(t) k a t b where: r is continuous.C is traversed exactly once as t increases from a to b.

ARC LENGTH FUNCTIONWe define its arc length function s by:Equation 6

ARC LENGTH FUNCTIONThus, s(t) is the length of the part of C between r(a) and r(t).

ARC LENGTH FUNCTIONIf we differentiate both sides of Equation 6 using Part 1 of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus (FTC1), we obtain:Equation 7

PARAMETRIZATIONIt is often useful to parametrize a curve with respect to arc length.

This is because arc length arises naturally from the shape of the curve and does not depend on a particular coordinate system.

PARAMETRIZATIONIf a curve r(t) is already given in terms of a parameter t and s(t) is the arc length function given by Equation 6, then we may be able to solve for t as a function of s: t = t(s)

REPARAMETRIZATIONThen, the curve can be reparametrized in terms of s by substituting for t: r = r(t(s))

REPARAMETRIZATIONThus, if s = 3 for instance, r(t(3)) is the position vector of the point 3 units of length along the curve from its starting point.

REPARAMETRIZATIONReparametrize the helix r(t) = cos t i + sin t j + t k with respect to arc length measured from (1, 0, 0) in the direction of increasing t.Example 2

REPARAMETRIZATIONThe initial point (1, 0, 0) corresponds to the parameter value t = 0. From Example 1, we have:

So, Example 2

REPARAMETRIZATIONTherefore, and the required reparametrization is obtained by substituting for t:Example 2

SMOOTH PARAMETRIZATIONA parametrization r(t) is called smooth on an interval I if:

r is continuous.

r(t) 0 on I.

SMOOTH CURVEA curve is called smooth if it has a smooth parametrization.

A smooth curve has no sharp corners or cusps.

When the tangent vector turns, it does so continuously.

SMOOTH CURVESIf C is a smooth curve defined by the vector function r, recall that the unit tangent vector T(t) is given by:

This indicates the direction of the curve.

SMOOTH CURVESYou can see that T(t) changes direction:

Very slowly when C is fairly straight.More quickly when C bends or twists more sharply.

CURVATUREThe curvature of C at a given point is a measure of how quickly the curve changes direction at that point.

CURVATURESpecifically, we define it to be the magnitude of the rate of change of the unit tangent vector with respect to arc length.

We use arc length so that the curvature will be independent of the parametrization.

CURVATUREDEFINITIONThe curvature of a curve is:

where T is the unit tangent vector.Definition 8

CURVATUREThe curvature is easier to compute if it is expressed in terms of the parameter t instead of s.

CURVATURESo, we use the Chain Rule (Theorem 3 in Section 13.2, Formula 6) to write:

CURVATUREHowever, ds/dt = |r(t)| from Equation 7.

So, Equation/Formula 9

CURVATUREShow that the curvature of a circle of radius a is 1/a.

We can take the circle to have center the origin.

Then, a parametrization is: r(t) = a cos t i + a sin t jExample 3

CURVATURETherefore, r(t) = a sin t i + a cos t j and |r(t)| = a

So, andExample 3

CURVATUREThis gives |T(t)| = 1.

So, using Equation 9, we have:Example 3

CURVATUREThe result of Example 3 showsin accordance with our intuitionthat:

Small circles have large curvature.

Large circles have small curvature.

CURVATUREWe can see directly from the definition of curvature that the curvature of a straight line is always 0because the tangent vector is constant.

CURVATUREFormula 9 can be used in all cases to compute the curvature.

Nevertheless, the formula given by the following theorem is often more convenient to apply.

CURVATUREThe curvature of the curve given by the vector function r is:Theorem 10

CURVATURET = r/|r| and |r| = ds/dt.

So, we have:Proof

CURVATUREHence, the Product Rule (Theorem 3 in Section 13.2, Formula 3) gives:Proof

CURVATUREUsing the fact that T x T = 0 (Example 2 in Section 12.4), we have:Proof

CURVATURENow, |T(t)| = 1 for all t.

So, T and T are orthogonal by Example 4 in Section 13.2Proof

CURVATUREHence, by Theorem 6 in Section 12.4,Proof

CURVATUREThus,

andProof

CURVATUREFind the curvature of the twisted cubic r(t) = at:A general point

(0, 0, 0)Example 4

CURVATUREFirst, we compute the required ingredients:Example 4

CURVATURE Example 4

CURVATUREThen, Theorem 10 gives:

At the origin, where t = 0, the curvature is: (0) = 2Example 4

CURVATUREFor the special case of a plane curve with equation y = f(x), we choose x as the parameter and write: r(x) = x i + f(x) j

CURVATUREThen,r(x) = i + f(x) jand r(x) = f(x) j

CURVATURESince i x j = k and j x j = 0, we have:r(x) x r(x) = f(x) k

CURVATUREWe also have:

CURVATURESo, by Theorem 10,Formula 11

CURVATUREFind the curvature of the parabola y = x2 at the points (0, 0), (1, 1), (2, 4)Example 5

CURVATURESince y = 2x and y = 2, Formula 11 gives:Example 5

CURVATUREAt (0, 0), the curvature is (0) = 2.

At (1, 1), it is (1) = 2/53/2 0.18

At (2, 4), it is (2) = 2/173/2 0.03Example 5

CURVATUREObserve from the expression for (x) or the graph of here that:(x) 0 as x

This corresponds to the fact that the parabola appears to become flatter as x Example 5

NORMAL AND BINORMAL VECTORSAt a given point on a smooth space curve r(t), there are many vectors that are orthogonal to the unit tangent vector T(t).

NORMAL VECTORSWe single out one by observing that, because |T(t)| = 1 for all t, we have T(t) T(t) by Example 4 in Section 13.2.

So, T(t) is orthogonal to T(t).

Note that T(t) is itself not a unit vector.

NORMAL VECTORHowever, if r is also smooth, we can define the principal unit normal vector N(t) (simply unit normal) as:

NORMAL VECTORSWe can think of the normal vector as indicating the direction in which the curve is turning at each point.

BINORMAL VECTORThe vector B(t) = T(t) x N(t) is called the binormal vector.

BINORMAL VECTORSIt is perpendicular to both T and N and is also a unit vector.

NORMAL & BINORMAL VECTORSFind the unit normal and binormal vectors for the circular helix r(t) = cost i + sin t j + t kExample 6

NORMAL & BINORMAL VECTORSFirst, we compute the ingredients needed for the unit normal vector:Example 6

NORMAL & BINORMAL VECTORSExample 6

NORMAL & BINORMAL VECTORSThis shows that the normal vector at a point on the helix is horizontal and points toward the z-axis.Example 6

NORMAL & BINORMAL VECTORSThe binormal vector is:Example 6

NORMAL & BINORMAL VECTORSThe figure illustrates Example 6 by showing the vectors T, N, and B at two locations on the helix.

TNB FRAMEIn general, the vectors T, N, and B, starting at the various points on a curve, form a set of orthogonal vectorscalled the TNB framethat moves along the curve as t varies.

TNB FRAMEThis TNB frame plays an important role in:

The branch of mathematics known as differential geometry.

Its applications to the motion of spacecraft.

NORMAL PLANEThe plane determined by the normal and binormal vectors N and B at a point P on a curve C is called the normal plane of C at P.

It consists of all lines that are orthogonal to the tangent vector T.

OSCULATING PLANEThe plane determined by the vectors T and N is called the osculating plane of C at P.

The name comes from the Latin osculum, meaning kiss.

OSCULATING PLANEIt is the plane that comes closest to containing the part of the curve near P.

For a plane curve, the osculating plane is simply the plane that contains the curve.

OSCULATING CIRCLEThe osculating circle (the circle of curvature) of C at P is the circle that:

Lies in the osculating plane of C at P.

Has the same tangent as C at P.

Lies on the concave side of C (toward which N points).

Has radius = 1/ (the reciprocal of the curvature).

OSCULATING CIRCLEIt is the circle that best describes how C behaves near P.

It shares the same tangent, normal, and curvature at P.

NORMAL & OSCULATING PLANESFind the equations of the normal plane and osculating plane of the helix in Example 6 at the point P(0, 1, /2)Example 7

NORMAL & OSCULATING PLANESThe normal plane at P has normal vector r(/2) = .

So, an equation is: orExample 7

NORMAL & OSCULATING PLANESThe osculating plane at P contains the vectors T and N.

So, its normal vector is: T x N = BExample 7

NORMAL & OSCULATING PLANESFrom Example 6, we have:Example 7

NORMAL & OSCULATING PLANESA simpler normal vector is .

So, an equation of the osculating plane is: orExample 7

NORMAL & OSCULATING PLANESThe figure shows the helix and the osculating plane in Example 7.

OSCULATING CIRCLESFind and graph the osculating circle of the parabola y = x2 at the origin.

From Example 5, the curvature of the parabola at the origin is (0) = 2.

So, the radius of the osculating circle at the origin is 1/ = and its center is (0, ).Example 8

OSCULATING CIRCLESTherefore, its equation is:Example 8

OSCULATING CIRCLESFor the graph, we use parametric equations of this circle: x = cos t y = + sin tExample 8

OSCULATING CIRCLESThe graph is displayed.Example 8

SUMMARYWe summarize the formulas for unit tangent, unit normal and binormal vectors, and curvature.

PLEASE HELP REWRITE/REFORMULATE OBJECTIVE.SHOULD THE PREVIOUS IMAGE BE PUT HERE TOO?