Enveloids of Legendre curves in the unit tangent bundle over the Euclidean plane (Q2091139)

A \textit{\(\theta\)-enveloid} is a curve of the Euclidean plane intersecting all members of a given 1-parametric family of Legendre curves under the constant angle \(\theta\). Here the notion \textit{Legendre curve} is a natural generalization of the notion \textit{regular curve}: If \(I\) is some interval and \(S^1\) denotes the unit circle then \(\gamma: I \rightarrow {\mathbb R}^2\) is a \textit{Legendre curve} if there exists a mapping \(\nu: I \rightarrow S^1\) such that \(\gamma'(t) \cdot \nu(t) = 0\) for all \(t \in I\). (\(\gamma'\) denotes the derivative of \(\gamma\).) As opposed to a regular curve, a Legendre curve can also have singularities. In case of \(\theta \not= 0\) the authors show that the \(\theta\)-enveloids of a family of Legendre curves are closely related to ordinary differential equations. As a consequence, \(\theta\)-enveloids of a family of Legendre curves establish a 1-parametric family of curves, themselves if \(\theta \not= 0\). The existence and uniqueness of \(\theta\)-enveloids for given initial values is discussed. Other known concepts of planar curves which are based on a given curve \(c\) are also studied in the paper, for instance, the concepts of \textit{evolutoids} and \textit{tanvolutes}: \begin{itemize} \item If one rotates all tangents of a given curve \(c\) about their respective contact points by a constant angle \(\alpha\) one gets a one-parametric family of straight lines. The envelope curve of this family is called the \textit{evolutoid of \(c\) belonging to the angle \(\alpha\)}. (For \(\alpha=\frac{\pi}{2}\) one obtains the ordinary evolute of \(c\).) \item A \textit{tanvolute} is a curve intersecting the tangents of a given curve \(c\) under constant angle \(\theta\). (If \(\theta = \frac{\pi}{2}\) the tanvolute is an ordinary involute of \(c\).) \end{itemize} These types of curves (evolutoids and tanvolutes) are studied in the context of the paper: The counterpart to a tanvolute of a regular curve \(c\) is a so-called \textit{involutoid} of a curve \(c\) which can also have singularities. It is shown that involutoids and evolutoids are complementary concepts. Special attention is payed to \(\frac{\pi}{2}\)-enveloids (\textit{orthogonal trajectories of a 1-parametric familiy of curves}). The paper is illustrated by a bunch of examples.