On a variational problem for curves in Lie sphere geometry (Q6917044)

The author considers the 3-sphere, acted on by the group \(\mathrm{O}(2,4)\) of Lie sphere transformations, as in the book of \textit{T. E. Cecil} [Lie sphere geometry. With applications to submanifolds. New York etc.: Springer-Verlag (1992; Zbl 0752.53003)]. He studies curves in this geometry, satisfying a nondegeneracy condition. He constructs a Serret-Frenet frame for these curves, giving in particular a natural parameterization up adding a constant. He uses the increment of this parameterization as an invariant length for any such curve. He studies the critical curves of this length functional, applies Griffith's formalism to write out equations for the critical curves as an exterior differential system, and explicitly integrates this exterior differential system to find all critical curves.