Dubin's problem on surfaces. I: Nonnegative curvature (Q816222)

The authors consider the following problem: given a complete, connected, two-dimensional Riemannian manifold \(M\) and two points \((p_1,v_1)\) and \((p_2,v_2)\) in the tangent bundle \(TM\), is it possible to connect \(p_1\) and \(p_2\) with a curve \(\gamma\) in \(M\) such that \(\dot \gamma\) is equal to \(v_i\) at \(p_i\), \(i = 1,2\), and that the geodesic curvature is arbitrarily small? In this paper the authors bring a positive answer in the following cases: (a) \(M\) is compact; (b) \(M\) is asymptotically flat; (c) \(M\) has bounded nonnegative curvature outside a compact subset of \(M\).