On singularities, ``Perestroikas'' and differential geometry of space curves (Q2565938): Difference between revisions

In this nice and instructive paper, readable ``avec plaisir'', the author studies the geometry of smooth curves in Euclidian 3-space in a neighbourhood of flattenings (points at which the osculating plane is stationary) and of Darboux vertices (points at which the instantaneous axis of rotation of the Frénet trihedral is stationary). The author presents new local and global theorems and describes all bifurcations which may occur in generic 1-parameter families of smooth curves in Euclidean 3-space and in Euclidean \(n\)-space, too. The definition of a flattening can be directly generalised to curves in higher-dimensional Euclidean spaces while the definition of a Darboux vertex has two possible generalisations, called a Darboux vertex and a twisting. Among other results the following theorem we consider to be very interesting: Let \(\gamma\) be a smoothly immersed curve in \(\mathbb{R}^{2k+1}\), \(k\geq 1\). Write \(K_1,K_2,\dots, K_{2k}\) for its curvatures. The curve \(\gamma\) has a Darboux vertex at \(s= s_0\) if and only if \((K_2/K_1)'= 0\), \((K_4/K_3)'= 0,\dots, (K_{2k}/K_{2k-1})'= 0\) at \(s= s_0\).