Total curvature and some characterizations of closed curves in \(\mathrm{CAT}(k)\) spaces (Q1736086)

This paper investigates characterizations of a closed curve $\gamma$ in a $\mathrm{CAT}(k)$ space bounding a geodestic surface isometric to the disk bounded by a circle $\gamma^{\prime}$ in the model $S_{k}$ with the same perimeter. The main result in this paper is the following theorem: \par Theorem. Let $\gamma$ be a closed spherical curve at a distance $r<\frac{\pi} {2\sqrt{k}}$ from $q$ in a $\mathrm{CAT}(k)$ space $M$, and $\gamma^{\prime}$ be a circle of radius $r$ centered at $q^{\prime}$ in the model $S_{k}$. If one of the following statements holds, then $C(\gamma^{\prime})$ is isometric to $C(\gamma)$. \begin{itemize} \item[1.] $l(\gamma)=l(\gamma^{\prime})$; $d(x,y)=d^{\prime}(x^{\prime},y^{\prime})$ whenever $l(\gamma_{xy})=l(\gamma_{x^{\prime}y^{\prime}}^{\prime })$ for any subarc $\gamma_{xy}$ of $\gamma$ and any subarc $\gamma_{x^{\prime}y^{\prime}}^{\prime}$ of $\gamma^{\prime}$; \item[2.] $l(\gamma)=l(\gamma^{\prime})$; $\angle _{q}(x,y)=\angle_{q^{\prime}}(x^{\prime},y^{\prime})$ whenever $l(\gamma_{xy})=l(\gamma _{x^{\prime}y^{\prime}}^{\prime})$ for any subarc $\gamma_{xy}$ of $\gamma$ and any subarc $\gamma_{x^{\prime}y^{\prime}}^{\prime}$ of $\gamma^{\prime}$; \item[3.] $\kappa_{c}(\gamma)=\kappa_{c}(\gamma^{\prime })$; $d(x,y)=d^{\prime}(x^{\prime},y^{\prime })$ whenever $l(\gamma_{xy})=l(\gamma _{x^{\prime}y^{\prime}}^{\prime})$ for any subarc $\gamma_{xy}$ of $\gamma$ and any subarc $\gamma_{x^{\prime}y^{\prime}}^{\prime}$ of $\gamma^{\prime}$; \item[4.] $\kappa_{c}(\gamma)=\kappa_{c}(\gamma^{\prime })$; $\angle_{q}(x,y)=\angle_{q^{\prime}}(x^{\prime},y^{\prime})$ whenever $l(\gamma_{xy})=l(\gamma_{x^{\prime}y^{\prime}}^{\prime})$ for any subarc $\gamma_{xy}$ of $\gamma$ and any subarc $\gamma_{x^{\prime}y^{\prime} }^{\prime}$ of $\gamma$. \end{itemize} It was established in [the first author et al., JP J. Geom. Topol. 12, No. 3, 243--262 (2012; Zbl 1270.51017)] that in the case of $k>0$, the lower bound of the total curvature of any closed curve in a $\mathrm{CAT}(k)$ space with perimeter $s<\frac{2\pi}{\sqrt{k}}$ is greater than or equal to the total curvature of a circle in the model space $S_{k}$ with the same circumference $s$. \textit{A. S. A. Assa} and \textit{M. Chaiwat} [Southeast Asian Bull. Math. 32, No. 4, 767--778 (2008; Zbl 1199.51007)] investigated a comparison and rigidity theorem of spherical curves in a $\mathrm{CAT}(k)$ space.