Singularities of the Minkowski set and affine equidistants for a curve and a surface (Q664676)

Let \(M\) be a smooth surface and \(N\) a smooth curve, both in \(\mathbb R^{3}.\) A pair of points \((p,q)\), \(p \in M\), \(q\in N\), such that the tangent plane to \(M\) and the line tangent to the curve \(N\) at these points are parallel is called a parallel pair and the straight line through its points is called a chord. The envelope of the family of all chords is called the Minkowski set of \(M\) and \(N\). The aim of the paper is to classify generic singularities of envelopes of families of chords and bifurcations of affine equidistants. The classification contains singularities of stable Lagrange and Legendre projections, boundary singularities and other classes of singularities.