Show that $\alpha(t)$ lies on a sphere

curvesdifferential-geometry

I'm asked to prove that the trace of the curve
$\alpha(t)=(r\sin^2(t), r \sin(t),r \cos(t))$
lies on a sphere.

What I tried so far:

Letting $\alpha(t)=(x(t),y(t),z(t))$, we have that $x^2(t)+y^2(t)+z^2(t)=r^2(\sin^4(t)+1)$ which does not satisfy the equation of a sphere. Also, I plotted the curve and I'm not sure whether the trace does actually lie on a sphere.

Any hints? Thanks!

Best Answer

Suppose that $C=(a,b,c)$ is the center of the sphere on which $\alpha$ is supposed to lie. The square of the distance $d(C,\alpha)$ has to be constant. Therefore by differentiation

$$\langle \alpha^\prime(t), \alpha(t) - C \rangle$$ has to be equal to zero for all $t \in \mathbb R$. I.e.

$$\begin{aligned} 2\sin t \cos t(a - r\sin^2 t) + \cos t(b -r \sin t) - \sin t(c - r \cos t)&=\\ 2\sin t \cos t(a - r\sin^2 t) + b \cos t - c\sin t=0 \end{aligned}$$

Using $t = 0$ we get $b=0$ and $c =0$ follows from plugging in $t= \pi/2$. We're left with the equation $$\sin t \cos t(a - r\sin^2 t) = 0$$ which should be valid for all $t \in \mathbb R$. And that can't be as it would imply $a - r\sin^2 t=0$ for all $t\in (0,\pi/2)$.

Therefore, the curve doesn't lie on a sphere.