Curvature of Fernet curve on a sphere

differential-geometry

The question is, how to prove that the curvature of any Frenet curve on a sphere with radius $R$ is bigger or equal to $1/R$.

I have managed to prove so far that the Gauss curvature of the sphere $x^2+y^2+z^2=R^2$ is $1/R^2$, but I don't know if this helps at all

Best Answer

Suppose $\alpha(s)$ is a unit speed curve lying in the sphere of radius $R$ centered at the origin. Then

$\alpha(s) \cdot \alpha (s) = R^2, \tag 1$

whence

$\dot \alpha(s) \cdot \alpha(s) = 0; \tag 2$

since

$\dot \alpha(s) = T(s), \tag 3$

the unit tangent vector to $\alpha(s)$, (2) becomes

$T(s) \cdot \alpha (s) = 0; \tag 4$

differentiating this equation yields

$\dot T(s) \cdot \alpha(s) + T(s) \cdot \dot \alpha(s) = 0; \tag 5$

we now recall (3), viz.

$\dot \alpha(s) = T(s) \tag 6$

and the Frenet-Serret equation

$\dot T(s) = \kappa(s) N(s); \tag 7$

then (5) yields

$\kappa(s) N(s) \cdot \alpha(s) + T(s) \cdot T(s) = 0; \tag 8$

also,

$T(s) \cdot T(s) = 1, \tag 9$

$T(s)$ being a unit vector. (8) may now be written

$\kappa(s) N(s) \cdot \alpha(s) = -1; \tag{10}$

note this forces

$\kappa(s) \ne 0; \tag{11}$

taking absolute values in (10) we find

$\kappa(s) \vert N(s) \cdot \alpha(s) \vert = 1; \tag{12}$

by Cauchy-Schwarz,

$ \vert N(s) \cdot \alpha(s) \vert \le \vert \alpha(s) \vert \vert N(s) \vert = R, \tag{13}$

since

$\vert \alpha(s) \vert = R \tag{14}$

and

$\vert N(s) \vert = 1; \tag{15}$

assembling (12) and (13) together we have

$\kappa(s) R \ge 1, \tag{16}$

or

$\kappa(s) \ge \dfrac{1}{R}, \tag{17}$

$OE\Delta$.