Spatial curves

Radu MICULESCU

Transilvania University of Braşov

January 2020

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 Spatial curves

A spatial curve can be described in two ways:

Parametric description

Im c
where c : I R ! R3 is given by

c (t ) = (x (t ), y (t ), z (t )),

for every t in the interval I is such that

0 0 0
(x (t ))2 + (y (t ))2 + (y z (t ))2 6= 0,

for all t 2 I .
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 Example

c : R ! R3 given by

c (t ) = (a cos t, a sin t, bt ),

for every t 2 R, where a > 0 and b 6= 0.

Note that
0 0 0
((a cos t ) )2 + ((a sin t ) )2 + ((bt ) )2 =
= a2 (cos2 t + sin2 t ) + b2 = a2 + b2 6= 0,
for every t 2 R.
C = Im c is called the circular helix.

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Implicit description

f(x, y , z ) 2 R3 j f (x, y , z ) = 0, g (x, y , z ) = 0 and

∂f ∂f ∂f ∂g ∂g ∂g
( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )) ( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )
∂x ∂y ∂z ∂x ∂y ∂z
6 = 0g

where f , g : D = D R3 ! R are di¤erentiable functions.

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 Example

f(x, y , z ) 2 R3 j xyz = 1 and x = y 2 g

Note that in this case we have f , g : R3 ! R given by

f (x, y ) = xyz 1 and g (x, y , z ) = x y 2,

for every (x, y , z ) 2 R3 .

We have
∂f ∂f ∂f
( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )) = (yz, xz, xy ),
∂x ∂y ∂z
and
∂g ∂g ∂g
( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )) = (1, 2y , 0),
∂x ∂y ∂z

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so
∂f ∂f ∂f ∂g ∂g ∂g
( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )) ( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )
∂x ∂y ∂z ∂x ∂y ∂z

i j k
= (yz, xy , xy ) (1, 2y , 0) = " yz xz xy "=
1 2y 0
= 2xy 2 i + xy j (2y 2 + x )zk
which is not zero for xyz = 1 and x = y 2 .

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 Tangent line and normal plane

Parametrized curves

Let us consider the curve C = Im c, where c : I R ! R3 is given by

c (t ) = (x (t ), y (t ), z (t )),
for every t 2 I and P0 = c (t0 ) 2 C .

The tangent line to C at P0 is the line passing through P0 and having the
0
direction given by c (t0 ) and it has the equation

x x ( t0 ) y y (t0 ) z z (t0 )
0 = 0 = 0 .
x (t0 ) y ( t0 ) z (t0 )
The normal plane to C at P0 is the plane passing through P0 which is
perpendicular to the tangent line to C at P0 and it has the equation
0 0 0
(x x (t0 ))x (t0 ) + (y y (t0 ))y (t0 ) + (z z (t0 ))z (t0 ) = 0.
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 Example

Write the equations of the tangent line and of the normal plane to the
curve C at the point P = c ( π4 ), where C is given by Im c, c : R ! R3
being described by
c (t ) = (cos t, sin t, t ),
for every t 2 R.

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We have
0
c (t ) = ( sin t, cos t, 1),
for every t 2 R, so p p
0π 2 2
c( )=( , , 1).
4 2 2

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The tangent line to C at P has the equation
p p
2 2 π
x y z
p2 = p 2 = 4
.
2 2 1
2 2
and the normal plane to C at P has the equation
p p p p
2 2 2 2 π
(x )+ (y )+z = 0.
2 2 2 2 4

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 Homework

Write the equations of the tangent line and of the normal plane to the
curve C at the point P = c (1), where C is given by Im c, c : R ! R3
being described by

c (t ) = (t 3 2t, 4t + 2, t 2 + t ),

for every t 2 R.

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Implicitly Defined curves

Let us consider

C = f(x, y ) 2 R2 j f (x, y , z ) = 0, g (x, y , z ) = 0 and

∂f ∂f ∂f ∂g ∂g ∂g
( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )) ( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )
∂x ∂y ∂z ∂x ∂y ∂z
6 = 0g

where f , g : D = D R3 ! R are di¤erentiable functions.

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The tangent line to C at P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) 2 C has the equation
x x0 y y0 z z0
= = .
T1 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) T2 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) T3 (x0 , y0 , z0 )
and the normal plane to C at P0 has the equation

T1 (x0 , y0 , z0 )(x x0 ) + T2 (x0 , y0 , z0 )(y y0 ) + T3 (x0 , y0 , z0 )(z z0 ) = 0,

where T1 ,T2 and T3 are the components of the vector

∂f ∂f ∂f ∂g ∂g ∂g
( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )) ( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )
∂x ∂y ∂z ∂x ∂y ∂z

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 Example

Find the equations of the tangent line and of the normal plane to the
curve C given by

C = f(x, y , z ) 2 R3 j xyz = 1 and x = y g

at the point (1, 1, 1).

Let us consider f , g : R3 ! R given by

f (x, y , z ) = xyz 1 and g (x, y , z ) = x y,

for every (x, y , z ) 2 R3 .

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 ∂f ∂f ∂f
( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )) = (yz, xz, xy )
∂x ∂y ∂z
and
∂g ∂g ∂g
( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )) = (1, 1, 0),
∂x ∂y ∂z

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so
∂f ∂f ∂f ∂g ∂g ∂g
( (1, 1, 1), (1, 1, 1), (1, 1, 1)) ( (1, 1, 1), (1, 1, 1), (1, 1, 1)) =
∂x ∂y ∂z ∂x ∂y ∂z

i j k
= (1, 1, 1) (1, 1, 0) = " 1 1 1 " = i +j 2k.
1 1 0
The tangent line to C at P has the equation
x 11 y 1 z
= =
1 1 2
and the normal plane to C at P has the equation

1(x 1) + 1(y 1) 2(z 1) = 0,

i.e.
x +y 2z = 0.

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 Homework

Find the equations of the tangent line and of the normal plane to the
curve C given by

C = f(x, y ) 2 R2 j x 2 y2 z = 0 and x 2 y = 0g

at the point P ( 2, 4, 12).

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 The Frénet frame

Let us consider the curve C = Im c, where c : I R ! R3 is given by

c (t ) = (x (t ), y (t ), z (t )),

for every t 2 I and P = c (t ) 2 C .

The Frénet frame …eld associated to C at P is the orthonormal moving
frame
Rt = fc (t ), T (t ), N (t ), B (t )g,
where

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 def 1 0 1 0 0 0
T (t ) = 0 c (t ) = 0 (x (t ), y (t ), z (t ))
kc (t )k kc (t )k
is the unit tangent vector to C at P,

def 1 0 00
B (t ) = 00
[c (t ) c (t )]
0
c (t ) c (t )

is the unit binormal vector to C at P and

def
N (t ) = B (t ) T (t )

is the unit normal vector to C at P.

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 The osculating plane, the rectifying plane and the normal plane

The plane determined by P, T (t ) and N (t ) is called the osculating plane.

It is the limit position of a plane determined by three neighboring points
when these points approach inde…nitely the point P. Among all the planes
that are passing through P it has the higher order (the closer) contact i.e.
it comes closest to containing the curve near P.

The plane determined by P, T (t ) and B (t ) is called the rectifying plane.

It comes closest to ‡attening the curve near P.

The plane determined by P, N (t ) and B (t ) is called the normal plane.

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 The tangent line, the principal normal line and the binormal line

The line determined by P and T (t ) is called the tangent line.

The line determined by P and N (t ) is called the principal normal line.

The plane determined by P and B (t ) is called the binormal line.

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 The curvature

Let us consider the curve C = Im c, where c : I R ! R3 is given by

c (t ) = (x (t ), y (t ), z (t )),

for every t 2 I and P = c (t ) 2 C .

The strictly positive real number
0 00

def
c (t ) c (t )
k (t ) = 3
>0
kc 0 (t )k
is called the curvature of C at P.
It is a measure of the deviation of a curve from a straight line and hence it
is often referred as bending of a curve.
The curvature of a curve is the speed of rotation of the tangent line to the
curve when the tangency point is moving along the curve with the unit
speed.
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 Remark

In contrast with the situation for planes curves, the curvature of a space
curve is always positive. This is related to the fact that the curvature for a
spatial curve does not contain information about the direction to which
the curve is turning. For a plane curve there are only two posibilities, left
and right, which can be determined by the sign of the curvature, but for a
space curve there are in…nitely many posibilities, and it would be imposible
to distinguish them by just a sign.

Remark

If one applies the de…nition of the curvature for a spatial curve to a plane
curve, we obtain the absolute value of the curvature of the plane curve.
Hence the notion of curvature for spatial curves is more primitive than
that for plane curves.
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 The torsion

Let us consider the curve C = Im c, where c : I R ! R3 is given by

c (t ) = (x (t ), y (t ), z (t )),

for every t 2 I and P = c (t ) 2 C .

The real number 000
0 00
def (c (t ), c (t ), c (t ))
τ (t ) = 2
0 00
c (t ) c (t )

is called the torsion of C at P.

It is a measure of the deviation of the curve from a plane curve hence it is
often referred as twisting of a curve.
The torsion of a curve is the speed of rotation of the binormal line to the
curve when the tangency point is moving along the curve with the unit
speed.
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 Frénet’s formulas

Let us consider the curve C = Im c, where c : I R ! R3 is given by

c (t ) = (x (t ), y (t ), z (t )),

for every t 2 I and P = c (t ) 2 C .

Then
0
T (t ) = k (t )v (t )N (t ),
0
N (t ) = k (t )v (t )T (t ) + τ (t )v (y )B (t )
and
0
B (t ) = k (t )v (t )N (t ),
where
0
v (t ) = c (t ) .

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 The local behaviour of a curve around a point

The projection of a curve on the osculating plane is a parabola.

The projection of a curve on the rectifying plane is a cubic.

The projection of a curve on the normal plane is a semicubic parabola.

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 Example

Compute the elements of the Frénet frame, the curvature and the torsion
at an arbitrary point of the of the curve C = Im c, where c : R ! R3 is
given by
t2
c (t ) = (cos t, sin t, ),
2
for every t 2 R.
We have
0
c (t ) = ( sin t, cos t, t ),
00
c (t ) = ( cos t, sin t, 1)
and 000
c (t ) = (sin t, cos t, 0).

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Hence
00
i j k
0
c (t ) c (t ) = " sin t cos t t "=
cos t sin t 1
= (cos t + t sin t )i + (sin t t cos t )j + k
and
00 000 sin t cos t t
0
(c (t ), c (t ), c (t )) = cos t sin t 1 = t.
sin t cos t 0

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Therefore p
0
c (t ) = t2 + 1

and 00 p
0
c (t ) c (t ) = t 2 + 2.

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Thus
1 0 1
T (t ) = 0c (t ) = p ( sin t, cos t, t ),
kc (t )k t2 + 1
1 0 00
B (t ) = 00
[c (t ) c (t )] =
0
c (t ) c (t )
1
=p (cos t + t sin t, sin t t cos t, 1)
t2 +2
and
i j k
N (t ) = B (t ) T (t ) = " cos t + t sin t sin t t cos t 1 "=
sin t cos t t

= (t sin t (t 2 + 1) cos t, t cos t (t 2 + 1) sin t, 1),

for every t 2 R.

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Moreover
0
c (t )
00
c (t )
p
t2 + 2
k (t ) = 0 3
= p
kc (t )k (t 2 + 1) t 2 + 1
and 000
0 00
(c (t ), c (t ), c (t )) t
τ (t ) = 2
= ,
0 00 t2 +2
c (t ) c (t )

for every t 2 R.

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 Homework

Compute the elements of the Frénet frame, the curvature and the torsion
at an arbitrary point of the of the curve C = Im c, where c : R ! R3 is
given by p
c (t ) = (e t , e t , 2t ),
for every t 2 R.

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 The length of a spatial curve

The length of the curve C = Im c, where c : [a, b ] ! R3 is given by

c (t ) = (x (t ), y (t ), z (t )),

for every t 2 [a, b ], is de…ned by the formula

Zb Zb q
0 0 0
L(C ) = c (t ) dt = (x 0 (t ))2 + (y (t ))2 + (z (t ))2 dt.
a a

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 Example

Compute the length of the curve C = Im c, where c : [0, 2π ] ! R3 is

given by
t2
c (t ) = (t cos t, t sin t, ),
2
for every t 2 [0, 2π ].

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We have
0
c (t ) = (cos t t sin t, sin t + t cos t, t ),
for every t 2 [0, 2π ], so
2π
Z
0
L(C ) = c (t ) dt =
0

2π q
Z
= (cos t t sin t )2 + (sin t + t cos t )2 + t 2 dt =
0

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 2π
Z 2π
Z
p 0p
= 2t 2 + 1dt = t 2t 2 + 1dt =
0 0
2π
Z
p 2t 2
= t 2t 2 + 1 j2π
0 p dt =
2t 2 + 1
0
2π
Z
p 2t 2 + 1 1
= 2π 8π 2 +1 p dt =
2t 2 + 1
0
2π
Z
p 1
= 2π 8π 2 + 1 L(C ) + p dt,
2t 2 + 1
0

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so r
p
1 1
L(C ) = π + 1 + p ln(t + t 2 + ) j2π
8π 2 =
2 2 2 0
r
p 1 1 1
= π 8π + 1 + p ln(2π + 4π 2 + ) + p ln 2.
2
2 2 2 4 2

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 Homework

Compute the length of the curve C = Im c, where c : [0, 14 ] ! R3 is given

by
c (t ) = (t 2 t, t 2 + 1, t )
for every t 2 [0, 14 ].

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 Extra example

Write the equations of the tangent

p line and of the normal plane to the
curve C at the point P (1, 1, 2), where C is given by Im c, c : R ! R3
being described by
t
c (t ) = (1 cos t, sin t, 2 cos ),
2
for every t 2 R.

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We have
π
P = c( )
2
0 t
c (t ) = (sin t, cos t, sin ),
2
for every t 2 R, so p
0 π 2
c ( ) = (1, 0, ).
2 2

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The tangent line to C at P has the equation
p
x 1 y 1 z 2
= = p .
1 0 2
2
and the normal plane to C at P has the equation
p
2 p
(x 1) + 0(y 1) + ( )(z 2) = 0,
2
i.e. p
2x z = 0.

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 Extra example

Find the equations of the tangent line and of the normal plane to the
curve C given by

C = f(x, y , z ) 2 R3 r f(2, 0, 0), ( 2, 0, 0g j x 2 + z 2 4=0

and x 2 + y 2 4 = 0g
p
at the point ( 3, 1, 1).
Let us consider f , g : R3 ! R given by

f (x, y , z ) = x 2 + z 2 4 and g (x, y , z ) = x 2 + y 2 4,

for every (x, y , z ) 2 R3 .

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 ∂f ∂f ∂f
( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )) = (2x, 0, 2z )
∂x ∂y ∂z
and
∂g ∂g ∂g
( (x, y , z ), (x, y , z ), (x, y , z )) = (2x, 2y , 0),
∂x ∂y ∂z

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so
∂f p ∂f p ∂f p ∂g p ∂g p ∂g
( ( 3, 1, 1), ( 3, 1, 1), ( 3, 1, 1)) ( ( 3, 1, 1), ( 3, 1, 1),
∂x ∂y ∂z ∂x ∂y ∂z

p p i
p j k p p
= (2 3, 0, 2) (2 3, 2, 0) = " 2p3 0 2 " = 4i + 4 3j + 4 3k.
2 3 2 0
The tangent line to C at P has the equation
p
x 3 y 1 z 1
= p = p
4 4 3 4 3
and the normal plane to C at P has the equation
p p p
( 4)(x 3) + 4 3(y 1) + 4 3(z 1) = 0,

i.e. p p p
x 3y 3z + 3 = 0.

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 Extra example

Compute the curvature and the torsion at an arbitrary point of the of the
curve C = Im c, where c : (0, ∞) ! R3 is given by

c (t ) = (2t, t 2 , ln t ),

for every t > 0.

We have
0 1
c (t ) = (2, 2t, ),
t
00 1
c (t ) = (0, 2, )
t2
and 000
2
c (t ) = (0, 0, ),
t3
for every t > 0.
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Hence
00
i j k
0
1
c (t ) c (t ) = " 2 2t t "=
1
0 2 t2
4 2
= i + 2 j + 4k
t t
and
1
000 2 cos 2t t
0 00
1 8
(c (t ), c (t ), c (t )) = 0 2 t2
= ,
2 t3
0 0 t3
for every t > 0.

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Hence
0 00
c (t ) c (t ) 2t
k (t ) = 3
=
0
kc (t )k (2t 2 + 1)2
and 000
0 00
(c (t ), c (t ), c (t )) 2t
τ (t ) = 2
= ,
0 00 (2t 2+ 1)2
c (t ) c (t )

for every t 2 R.

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