An extension of the Fenchel theorem (Q806048)

Assuming a piecewise regular closed (unit) tangent image for a (not necessarily closed) regular curve in Euclidean space the authors apply the Fenchel-Borsuk Theorem [see \textit{K. Borsuk}, Sur la courbure totale des courbes, Ann. Soc. Polon. Math. 20, 251-265 (1948; Zbl 0037.236)] to the tangent image of such a so-called \(\tau\)-regular curve. This gives a lower estimate for the integral of \(\sqrt{\kappa^ 2+\tau^ 2}\) for the original curve. This integral attains its lower bound iff the tangent image of the curve is a circle on the unit sphere. The authors classify the curves having this property. They are contained in some suitable affine 3-space and can be described as the geodesics of a straight cylinder over a planar base curve which has the same property. These planar base curves are compositions of two non-closed convex arcs, each of them having tangent rotation angle equal to \(\pi\). [Reviewer's remark: The authors define a regular curve to be \(\tau\)- regular, if it has parallel tangents at its end points and only a finite number of points with vanishing curvature. Even if the curve is assumed to be of class \(C^{\infty}\) this does not imply the kind of \(\tau\)- regularity described in the review given above. But the latter one is needed for the authors' arguments.]