Shortening curves on surfaces (Q1317054)

The authors introduce a new curve shortening flow on surfaces called disk flow. Like the classical Birkhoff process, this flow involves replacing arcs of a curve with geodesic segments. A rough description of the process is as follows: Let \(\gamma\) be a piecewise-smooth immersed curve on a Riemannian surface \(F\). Cover \(F\) with convex disks \(D_ 1,D_ 2,\dots,D_ n\) of radius smaller than the injectivity radius so that any point on \(F\) meets the boundary of at most two disks, the boundaries of the disks meet \(\gamma\) transversely, and so that disks of half the radius with the same centers still cover \(F\). The disk flow is defined by homotoping each arc of \(\gamma \cap D_ i\) to the unique geodesic arc with the same endpoints for every \(i = 1,2,\dots,n\). The authors use disk flows to establish: (i) Let \(S_ 0\) and \(S_ 1\) be homotopic curves on a surface, each with \(K\) double points. Then there exists a homotopy \(S_ t\) from \(S_ 0\) to \(S_ 1\) with the property that each curve \(S_ t\) in the homotopy has at most \(K\) double points. This result gives a positive answer to a question proposed by \textit{V. Turaev} in `Problem list from workshop on low dimensional topology', Problem 10, Luminy (1989)]. (ii)A new proof of the theorem of Lyusternik and Shnirel'man on the existence of three simple closed geodesics on any 2-spheres. (iii) A Riemannian 2-disk with convex boundary contains at least two distinct simple geodesic arcs with endpoints perpendicular to the boundary.