A chord-stretching map of a convex loop is an isometry (Q1185848)

Let \(\alpha: [0,L]\longrightarrow{\mathbb{R}}^ n\) and \(\beta: [0,L]\longrightarrow{\mathbb{R}}^ n\) be closed rectifiable arcs of the same total length \(L\) in Euclidean \(n\)-space \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\) which are parametrized by arc length. The \(\beta\) is called a chord-stretched version of \(\alpha\) if for each pair \(s\), \(t\), \(0\leq s\leq t\leq L\), \(|\alpha(s)-\alpha (t)|\leq |\beta(s)-\beta(t)|\). Such a curve is called convex if it is simple and its image is the boundary of some plane convex set. The existence of convex chord-stretched versions of simple closed rectifiable arcs has been shown independently by \textit{G. Choquet} and \textit{G. T. Sallee} [see Geom. Dedicata 2, 311-315 (1973; Zbl 0274.52002) for the latter article]. The purpose of this article is to show a rigidity result in this context: Any chord-stretching map of a closed convex arc is the restriction of a suitable isometry of the ambient space.