A four vertex theorem for strictly convex space curves (Q1207031): Difference between revisions

Let \(c=c(S^ 1)\) be a smooth simple closed curve in Euclidean space \(\mathbb{R}^ 3\) with never vanishing curvature. A torsion zero point of \(c\) is called a vertex of \(c\). The curve \(c\) is called ``convex'' iff \(c\) lies on the boundary \(\partial H(c)\subset\mathbb{R}^ 3\) of its convex hull; a convex curve \(x\) is called ``strictly convex'' iff it has no ``cross tangents'' (= tangent lines of \(c\) whose intersection with \(c\) consists of more than one point). As P. Scherk conjectured and the second author [Geom. Dedicata 28, 7-29 (1988; Zbl 0654.53003)] proved for an open and dense set of ``generic'' curves, a generic convex curve \(c\) must have at least four (torsion zero) vertices. On the other hand, due to the authors and \textit{S. Rodrigues Costa} [Lect. Notes Math. 1410, 286-295 (1989; Zbl 0687.53004)], for a generic curve \(c\) nonvanishing torsion implies non- convexity. In this paper, the generic 4-vertex-theorem mentioned above is extended by the following central result (Theorem 2): Any strictly convex curve \(c\subset\mathbb{R}^ 3\) satisfies \(N(c)\geq 4\) (where \(N(c)\) denotes the whole number of vertices of \(c\), each of them being counted a number of times equal to its multiplicity as a zero of the torsion function), and its torsion changes sign at least twice.