Additional De…nitions:

1. A curve c is regular if v = c0 (t) 6= 0 for any t:

2. If the curve is regular then the vector

v c0 (t)
T= = 0
kvk kc (t)k

is called the unit tangent vector to the curve.

3. If the length of c0 (t) is constant and equal to 1 (in which case T = v),
the curve is said to be parameterized by arc length.
4. For a curve parameterized by arc length, the curvature k is given by
k = dT ds . If the curve is not parameterized by arc length then

kv v0 k
k= 3 :
kvk

5. For a curve parameterized by arc length, the principle normal vector to

the curve N is the unit vector given by
dT
ds
N (t) = dT
:
ds

If the curve is not parameterized by arc length then

(v v) v0 (v0 v) v
N (t) = :
k(v v) v0 (v0 v) vk

If a curve is regular but not parameterized by arc length then we can intro-
duce a new independent variable and curve so that our new curve is parame-
terized by arc length. Choose a value a in the domain of the curve and de…ne
s = p (t) to be the arc length

Zt
kc0 (u)k du
a

of the curve between a and t. We have

ds
= kc0 (t)k > 0
dt
since the curve is regular. Thus, s is a strictly increasing function of t and so the
inverse function t = q (s) exists. Now look at the new curve r = c1 (s) = c (q (t)),
which goes through the same points in space as the original curve but at a
di¤erent speed. In fact, the new speed is
1
kc01 (s)k = kq 0 (s) c0 (q (s))k = q 0 (s) kc0 (q (s))k = kc0 (q (s))k
p0 (q (s))

1
where above we have applied the chain rule, the fact that q 0 (s) > 0, and the
single variable inverse function theorem above. By the Fundamental Theorem
of calculus and the de…nition of p we have p0 (t) = kc0 (t)k, so kc01 (s)k = 1, and
so our new curve is parameterized by arc length.

Additional Exercises:
1. Suppose that the curve r = c (t) is parameterized by arc length. Show
that the length of the curve between t = a and t = b is b a.
2. Show that a circle of radius r has constant curvature 1r :
3. Compute the curvature and the principle normal vector for the helix
(r cos wt; r sin wt; ct) in terms of r; w; and c.
4. Compute the curvature of the ellipse x2 + 2y 2 = 1, z = 0. (Choose a
suitable parameterization).
5. Compute the curvature and principle normal vector of the elliptical helix
(cos 2t; 2 sin t; t).
6. Show that if the curvature of a curve is identically zero then the curve is
a straight line.
7. A particle is moving along a curve at constant speed. Express the magni-
tude of the force on the particle in terms of the mass of the particle, the speed
of the particle, and the curvature of the curve.