Loewner curvature (Q261459)

Given a Jordan domain \(\Omega\subset\mathbb C\) with distinct boundary points \(a\) and \(b\) and given \(T\in(0,\infty]\), the notation \(\gamma:(0,T)\to(\Omega, a,b)\) means that \(\gamma[0,T)\) is a simple curve with \(\gamma(0,T)\subset\Omega\) and \(\gamma(0)=a\). Though the point \(b\) does not enter into this definition, one can think of \(b\) as being the location of an observer, and that the curves are ``aiming'' for \(b\). Given \(\gamma[0,t]\), \(G_t\) defines the set of all conformal maps \(\phi_t:\Omega\setminus\gamma[0,t]\to\Omega\) with \(\phi_t(\gamma(t))=a\) and \(\phi_t(b)=b\). A curve \(\gamma:(0,T)\to(\Omega,a,b)\) is self-similar if \(\gamma\in C^3\) with \(\gamma'\neq0\) and if for each \(t\in(0,T)\), there exists a conformal map \(\phi_t\in G_t\) so that \(\phi_t(\gamma(t,T))=\gamma\). The family of self-similar curves in the marked domain \((\Omega,a,b)\) is denoted by \(S(\Omega,a,b)\). The chordal Loewner equation \[ \frac{\partial}{\partial t}g_t(z)=\frac{2}{g_t(z)-\lambda(t)},\;\;g_0(z)=z\in\mathbb H=\{z:\text{Im}\;z>0\}, \] is used to understand the family \(S(\mathbb H,0,\infty)\). A simple curve \(\gamma(0,T)\subset\mathbb H\) with \(\gamma(0)\in\mathbb R\) is generated by a continuous driving function \(\lambda:[0,T]\to\mathbb R\) and is parameterized by the half-plane capacity if the unique solution \(g_t:\mathbb H\setminus\gamma(0,T]\to\mathbb H\) has the hydrodynamic normalization \(z(zg_t(z)-z^2-2t)=O(1)\) at infinity. The authors identify \(S(\mathbb H,0,\infty)\) in the following theorem. Theorem 5. Assume \(\gamma:(0,T)\to(\mathbb H,0,\infty)\) has the driving function \(\lambda(t)\). If \(\gamma\in S(\mathbb H,0,\infty)\), then \(\lambda\) is completely determined by the two real parameters \(\lambda'(0)\) and \(\lambda''(0)\). In fact, \(\gamma\in S(\mathbb H,0,\infty)\) if and only if \(\lambda(t)\) is one of the following driving functions: 0, \(ct\), \(c\sqrt{\tau}-c\sqrt{\tau-t}\) or \(c\sqrt{\tau+t}-c\sqrt{\tau}\), where \(c\in\mathbb R\setminus\{0\}\) and \(\tau>0\). The authors associate with every sufficiently smooth curve \(\gamma(0,t)\) generated by a driving function \(\lambda(t)\) their Loewner curvature formula \(\mathrm{LC}_{\gamma}(t)=\lambda'(t)^3/\lambda''(t)\). They begin with assigning a constant curvature to \(\gamma\in S(\mathbb H,0,\infty)\) as follows. Definition 8. Let \(\gamma\in S(\mathbb H,0,\infty)\). Then \(\mathrm{LC}_{\gamma}\), the Loewner curvature of \(\gamma\), is defined to be the following constant: (1) \(\mathrm{LC}_{\gamma}\equiv0\) if \(\gamma\) is generated by 0; (2) \(\mathrm{LC}_{\gamma}\equiv\infty\) if \(\gamma\) is generated by \(ct\); (3) \(\mathrm{LC}_{\gamma}\equiv c^2/2\) if \(\gamma\) is generated by \(c\sqrt{\tau}-c\sqrt{\tau-t}\); (4) \(\mathrm{LC}_{\gamma}\equiv-c^2/2\) if \(\gamma\) is generated by \(c\sqrt{\tau+t}-c\sqrt{\tau}\). The next theorem characterizes \(\gamma\) when the Loewner curvature is small. Theorem 11. Let \(\gamma:(0,T)\to(\Omega,a,b)\) be \(C^3\) with \(\gamma'\neq0\). If there exists \(A\) so that \(-\infty\leq \mathrm{LC}_{\gamma}(t)\leq A<8\) for all \(t\in(0,T)\), then \(\gamma(0,T]\) is a simple curve in \(\Omega\cup\{b\}\). The constant 8 in Theorem 11 is optimal. Finally, the authors establish a comparison principle by showing that a bound on the Loewner curvature implies that the curve stays on one side of the corresponding curve of constant curvature.