Triharmonic curves in 3-dimensional homogeneous spaces (Q821502)

Triharmonic curves are triharmonic maps from a one-dimensional domain. Geodesics are harmonic maps from a one-dimensional domain, and every harmonic map is also triharmonic, triharmonic maps generalize geodesics. They solve the Euler-Lagrange equation of some intrinsically defined energy of third order. Triharmonic curves may be interesting most where they do not share properties of biharmonic curves. It is proven here that unlike biharmonic curves, there exist triharmonic curves with nonconstant curvature in a suitable Riemannian manifold of arbitrary dimension. More results are a complete classification of triharmonic curves in surfaces of constant Gauss curvature, and a study of constant curvature triharmonic curves to a 3-manifold, which turn out to be Frenet helices. Finally, there is a full classification of triharmonic Frenet helices in space forms and in Bianchi-Cartan-Vranceanu spaces.