Calculus - MA2024 - 2020 Batch – University of Moratuwa

Disclaimer: These notes have been prepared for the sole purpose of teaching this course and
have not been subjected to the usual scrutiny reserved for formal publications. They may be
distributed outside this class only with the permission of the instructor. Notes may be updated
periodically with suggestions from students, new ideas etc.

2 Arc Length, Space Curves and Curvature

2.1 Arc Length

Definition 2.1.1:
Let 𝒓 be a curve in ℝ3 . Let 𝑃 = {𝑡0 , 𝑡1 , … , 𝑡𝑛 } with 𝑡0 = 𝑎, 𝑡𝑛 = 𝑏 and 𝑡𝑘 > 𝑡𝑘−1 be a partition of
[𝑎, 𝑏]. Let 𝒫[𝑎, 𝑏] be the set of all such partitions. Define 𝑠(𝒓, 𝑃) = ∑𝑛𝑘=1 ||𝒓(𝑡𝑘 ) − 𝒓(𝑡𝑘−1 )||
and length of the curve as 𝑠(𝒓) = sup{s(𝒓, 𝑃)| 𝑃 ∈ 𝒫[𝑎, 𝑏]}.

Definition 2.1.2: 𝒓 is rectifiable iff 𝑠(𝒓) ∈ ℝ .

𝑏
Theorem 2.1.1: If 𝒓 ∈ 𝐶 1 then 𝒓 is rectifiable and 𝑠(𝒓)= ∫𝑎 ||𝒓′ (𝑡)|| 𝑑𝑡 .

Note: MVT does not exist for a curve 𝒓. However, in ℝ2 there exists 𝑐 ∈ (𝑎, 𝑏) such that 𝒓′ (𝑡)
is parallel to 𝒓(𝑏) − 𝒓(𝑎).

Definition 2.1.3: A change of parameter in a vector-valued function 𝒓(𝑡) is a substitution 𝑡 =

𝑔(𝜏) that produces a new vector-valued function 𝒓(𝑔(𝜏)) having the same graph as 𝒓(𝑡), but
possibly traced differently as parameter 𝜏 increases.

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Dr. Supem Samarasiri, Department of Mathematics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
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Theorem 2.1.2: Chain Rule

Let 𝒓(𝑡) be a vector-valued function that is differentiable with respect to 𝑡. If 𝑡 = 𝑔(𝜏) is a
change of parameter in which 𝑔 is differentiable with respect to 𝜏, then 𝒓(𝑔(𝜏)) is differentiable
with respect to 𝜏 and

𝑑𝒓 𝑑𝒓 𝑑𝑡
= .
𝑑𝜏 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝜏

Definition 2.1.4:
Let 𝐶 be the graph of a 𝐶 1 vector-valued function 𝒓(𝑡) with non-zero derivative and let 𝒓(𝑡0 ) be
any point on 𝐶. Then the following defines a position change of parameter from 𝑡 to 𝑠, which we
call an arc length parameter having reference point 𝒓(𝑡0 ):

𝑡 𝑑𝒓
𝑠 = ∫𝑡 ||𝑑𝑢|| 𝑑𝑢 .
0

Example: Express the helix 𝒓(𝑡) = (sin 𝑡, cos 𝑡 , 2𝑡) in terms of arc length measured from the
point 𝑃0 (0,1,0) in the direction of increasing 𝑡.

Theorem 2.1.3: Let 𝐶 be the graph of a 𝐶 1 vector-valued function 𝒓 such that 𝒓′ (𝑡) ≠ 0; ∀𝑡.
Suppose 𝑡 is a general parameter and 𝑠 is an arc length parameter for 𝐶, then
a) ∀𝑡, the tangent vector has length
𝑑𝒓 𝑑𝑠
|| 𝑑𝑡 || = 𝑑𝑡 ,
b) ∀𝑠, the tangent vector has length
𝑑𝒓(𝑡(𝑠))
|| || = 1 ,
𝑑𝑠
𝑑𝒓
c) If || 𝑑𝑡 || = 1; ∀𝑡, then for every value of 𝑡0 , the parameter 𝜎 = 𝑡 − 𝑡0 is an arc length
parameter with reference point at the point on 𝐶 corresponding to 𝑡 = 𝑡0 .

Proof: Will be outlined in class.

2.2 Unit Tangent, Normal and Binormal Vectors.

Definition 2.2.1: Let 𝐶 be the graph of a 𝐶 1 vector-valued function 𝒓 such that 𝒓′ (𝑡) ≠ 0; ∀𝑡.
Then the unit vector
𝒓′ (𝑡)
𝑻(𝑡) ∶=
||𝒓′ (𝑡)||

that is tangent to 𝐶 and points in the direction of increasing parameter 𝑡 is called the unit tangent
vector at every value of 𝑡.

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Dr. Supem Samarasiri, Department of Mathematics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Last updated: 09/26/2022 07:31 PM
 Calculus - MA2024 - 2020 Batch – University of Moratuwa

Definition 2.2.2: Let 𝐶 be the graph of a 𝐶 1 vector-valued function 𝒓 such that 𝒓′ (𝑡) ≠ 0; ∀𝑡.
Then the unit vector
𝑻′ (𝑡)
𝑵(𝑡) ∶=
||𝑻′ (𝑡)||

that is normal to 𝐶 and points in the direction as 𝑻′ (𝑡) is called the principle unit normal vector
at every value of 𝑡.

Note: 𝑻 points in the direction of motion while 𝑵 points in the direction the moving object is
turning at each 𝑡. On the plane 𝑵 points toward the concave side of the trajectory for each 𝑡.

Definition 2.2.3: Let 𝐶 be the graph of a 𝐶 1 vector-valued function 𝒓 in 3-space such that
𝒓′ (𝑡) ≠ 0; ∀𝑡. Then the binormal vector 𝑩(𝑡) can be defined at each 𝑡 as follows,
𝑩(𝑡) = 𝑻(𝑡) × 𝑵(𝑡).

It follows from properties of the cross product that 𝑩(𝑡) is orthogonal to both 𝑻(𝑡) and 𝑵(t)
and is oriented relative to 𝑻(𝑡) and 𝑵(t) by the right-hand rule. Moreover, 𝑻(𝑡) × 𝑵(t) is a
unit vector since
𝜋
||𝑻(𝑡) × 𝑵(t)|| = ||𝑻(𝑡)|| ||𝑵(𝑡)||sin 2 = 1.

Thus, {𝑻(𝑡), 𝑵(𝑡), 𝑩(𝑡)} is a set of three mutually orthogonal unit vectors ; for every 𝑡.

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Dr. Supem Samarasiri, Department of Mathematics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
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Just as the vectors 𝒊 , 𝒋 and 𝒌 determine a right-handed coordinate system in 3 - space,

so do the vectors 𝑻(𝑡), 𝑵(𝑡), 𝑩(𝑡) ; for every 𝑡. At each point on the parametric curve 𝐶 in
3-space, these vectors determine three mutually perpendicular planes that passes through
the point, namely, the TB-plane (called the rectifying plane), the TN-plane (called the osculating
plane), and the NB - plane (called normal plane).

The coordinate system determined by 𝑻(𝑡), 𝑵(𝑡), 𝑩(𝑡)is called the TNB-frame.
Alternatively, the binormal 𝑩(𝑡) can be expressed directly in terms of 𝒓(𝑡) as

𝒓′ (𝑡)× 𝒓′′ (𝑡)

𝑩(𝑡) = ||𝒓′ (𝑡)× 𝒓′′ (𝑡)||

And when the parameter is an arc length parameter it can be expressed as

𝒓′ (𝑠)× 𝒓′′ (𝑠)
𝑩(𝑠) = .
||𝒓′′ (𝑠)||

2.3 Curvature
Definition 2.3.1: Let 𝐶 be the graph of a 𝐶 1 vector-valued function 𝒓 with non-zero derivative.
Then the curvature of 𝐶 is, denoted 𝜅 = 𝜅(𝑠), is defined as
𝑑𝑇
𝜅(𝑠) = || 𝑑𝑠 || = || 𝒓′′ (𝑠)|| ; for all possible values of an arc length parameter 𝑠.

Theorem 2.3.1: Let 𝐶 be the graph of a 𝐶 1 vector-valued function 𝒓 with non-zero derivative.
Then for each value of 𝑡 for which 𝑻′(𝑡) and 𝒓′′ (𝑡) exists, the curvature can be expressed as,
||𝑻′ (𝑡)||
a) 𝜅(𝑡) = ,
||𝒓′ (𝑡)||

||𝒓′ (𝑡)× 𝒓′′ (𝑡)||

b) 𝜅(𝑡) = .
||𝒓′ (𝑡)||3

Proof: Is an exercise.

4
Dr. Supem Samarasiri, Department of Mathematics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Last updated: 09/26/2022 07:31 PM
 Calculus - MA2024 - 2020 Batch – University of Moratuwa

Example:
Given 𝑎 and 𝑏 are both non-negative, express the curvature 𝜅 of 𝒓(𝑡) = (𝑎 cos 𝑡 , 𝑎 sin 𝑡 , 𝑏𝑡)
in terms of 𝑎 and 𝑏.

Definition 2.3.2: Radius of Curvature

If a curve 𝐶 in 2 - space has non-zero curvature 𝜅 at a point 𝑃, then the circle of radius
𝜌 = 1/𝜅 sharing a common tangent with 𝐶 at 𝑃, and centered on the concave side of the
curve at 𝑃, is called the osculating circle or circle of curvature at 𝑃.

The radius 𝜌 of osculating circle at 𝑃 is called the radius of curvature at 𝑃 and the center
of the circle is called center of curvature at 𝑃.

5
Dr. Supem Samarasiri, Department of Mathematics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Last updated: 09/26/2022 07:31 PM