Chapter 2: Space Curves
Section 2.6: Binormal and Torsion
Example 2.6.4
For C, the curve defined by Rp=3 p−p3 i+3 p2 j+3 p+p3 k in Example 2.5.9,
Obtain the TNB-frame.
Calculate the torsion τ by both formulas on the right in Table 2.6.1.
Verify the equality T.p·B.p=−κ τ ρ2.
Graph C, along with the TNB-frame at p=−1.
Solution
Mathematical Solution
Part (a)
The vectors T, N, and B are respectively
−12⁢2⁢p2−1p2+12⁢pp2+112⁢2,−2⁢pp2+1−p2−1p2+10,12⁢2⁢p2−1p2+1−2⁢pp2+112⁢2
Table 2.6.4(a) provides a path through the manual calculations of the TNB-frame. The overdot represents differentiation with respect to p; the prime, with respect to arc length s. The calculations are done in the following order: three down the left-hand column then three down the right-hand column, and finally, the calculation across the bottom.
R.=−3⁢p2+36⁢p3⁢p2+3
T′=T./ρ=−23⁢pp2+13−13⁢p2−1p2+130
ρ=R.=3⁢2⁢p2+1
κ=∥T′∥ = 13⁢p2+12
T=R./ρ=−12⁢2⁢p2−1p2+12⁢pp2+112⁢2
N=T′/κ=−2⁢pp2+1−p2−1p2+10
B=T×N=ijk−12⁢2⁢p2−1p2+12⁢pp2+11/2−2⁢pp2+1−p2−1p2+10 = 12⁢2⁢p2−1p2+1−2⁢pp2+112⁢2
Table 2.6.4(a) Manual calculation of the TNB-frame
There are other ways to obtain the TNB-frame. The student taught a different path might want to modify Table 2.6.4(a) to reflect one of those different methods.
Part (b)
Torsion by first formula:
τ= −B./ρ·N
=−23⁢pp2+1313⁢p2−1p2+130·−2⁢pp2+1−p2−1p2+10
=−−43⁢p2p2+14−13⁢p2−12p2+14
=13⁢p2+12
Torsion by second formula:
R.R..R...=R.·R..×R... = 3−3 p26 p3+3 p2−6 p66 p−600 = 216
R.×R.. = |ijk3 p−3 p26 p3+3 p2−6 p66 p| = 18 p2−1−2 pp2+1 ⇒ ∥R.×R..∥2 = 648 p2+12
τ=R.·R..×R...R.×R..2 = 216648p2+12=13p2+12
Part (c)
Left-hand side:
T.p·B.p
=−2⁢2⁢pp2+12−2⁢p2−1p2+120·2⁢2⁢pp2+122⁢p2−1p2+120
=−8⁢p2p2+14−2⁢p2−12p2+14
=−2p2+12
Right-hand side:
−κ τ ρ2
=−13⁢p2+12 13⁢p2+12 3⁢2⁢p2+12
Part (d)
Figure 2.6.4(a) contains a graph of C, along with the TNB-frame at p=−1.
T−1 is represented by the black arrow.
N−1 is represented by the red arrow.
B−1 is represented by the green arrow.
The animation in the tutor can be used to verify that as T advances with increasing arclength, the osculating plane twists about the tangent line clockwise (as viewed in the direction of the advance of T), a twist consistent with the positive value of the torsion.
Figure 2.6.4(a) C and TNB-frame at p=1
Maple Solution - Interactive
Tools≻Load Package: Student Vector Calculus
Loading Student:-VectorCalculus
Execute the BasisFormat command at the right, or use the task template.
BasisFormatfalse:
Enter the vector notation for C as per Table 1.1.1. Context Panel: Assign Name
R=3 p−p3,3 p2,3 p+ p3→assign
Write R Context Panel: Evaluate and Display Inline
Context Panel: Student Vector Calculus≻Frenet Formalism≻TNB Frame≻p
Context Panel: Simplify≻Assuming Real
Context Panel: Assign to a Name≻TNB
R = →TNB frame →assuming real →assign to a nameTNB
Figure 2.6.4(a) is a screenshot of the tutor adjusted to display an animation of a single TNB-frame traversing a portion opf the curve.
The Plot Options button is used to impose constrained scaling and the frame style for the axes.
The default number of frames, 5, is changed to 30, and the Animate button is pressed.
The Display Options drop-down box provides other options: The individual vectors of the TNB-frame can be separately graphed, and graphs of the curvature and torsion can be displayed.
In Figure 2.6.4(b), the animation of a single TNB-frame traversing the curve was generated by the TNBFrame command, which allows for greater control of all aspects of the animation. (The animation shown in Figure 2.6.4(a) would be written to the worksheet upon pressing the Close button in the tutor.) The colors black, red, and green are used respectively for T, N, and B.
Figure 2.6.4(a) Space Curves tutor
Student:-VectorCalculus:-TNBFrame(<3*p-p^3,3*p^2,3*p+p^3>,p,output=animation,tangentoptions=[color=black,width=.2], normaloptions=[color=red,width=.2], binormaloptions=[color=green,width=.2], scaling=constrained, axes=frame, range=0..2,caption="",frames=30, curveoptions=[labels=[x,y,z],orientation=[-110,80,0],tickmarks=[3,4,3],lightmodel=none]);
Figure 2.6.4(b) TNB-frame animation
The tutor is based on the TNBFrame command whose output can be a graph of the curve along with a specified number of TNB-frames, an animation such as shown in Figure 2.6.4(b), or the algebraic representation of the vectors of the TNB-frame.
The Display Options in the tutor provides for graphs of the individual tangent, principal normal, and binormal vectors, and normalized versions of these vectors. That is because the underlying commands TangentVector, PrincipalNormal, and Binormal, originally did not have options for returning normalized vectors. Surprisingly, the vectors in the TNB-frame returned by the TNBFrame command are normalized by default.
Obtain the torsion via the Context Panel system
Context Panel: Student Vector Calculus≻ Frenet Formalism≻Torsion≻p
R = →torsion13⁢csgn⁡p2+1⁢2csgn⁡1,p2+12⁢p4+2⁢csgn⁡1,p2+12⁢p2+csgn⁡1,p2+12+2p2+12⁢p2+13→assuming real13⁢p2+12
Obtain the torsion by the upper-right formula in Table 2.6.1
Keyboard the norm bars. Calculus palette: Differentiation operator
Context Panel: Evaluate and Display Inline
Context Panel: Assign to a Name≻rho
ⅆⅆ p R = 3⁢2⁢p2+12→assuming real3⁢2⁢p2+1→assign to a nameρ
Extract B and N from the TNB-frame obtained in Part (a).
Calculus palette: Differentiation operator Common Symbols palette: Dot product operator
Context Panel: Simplify≻Simplify
−ⅆⅆ p TNB3·TNB2/ρ = −16⁢−2⁢2⁢pp2+1−2⁢p2−1⁢pp2+12⁢pp2+1−2⁢2⁢p2p2+12−2p2+1⁢p2−1p2+1⁢2p2+1= simplify 13⁢p2+12
Obtain the torsion by the lower-right formula in Table 2.6.1
Form the name R. as an Atomic Identifier.
Calculus palette: Differentiation operator
Context Panel: Assign Name
R.=ⅆⅆ p R→assign
Form the name R.. as an Atomic Identifier.
R..=ⅆ2ⅆp2 R→assign
Form the name R... as an Atomic Identifier.
R...=ⅆ3ⅆp3 R→assign
Keyboard the norm bars, and use Atomic Identifiers when referencing the derivatives of R.
Common Symbols palette: Dot and cross product operators
Context Panel: Assign to a Name≻tau
R.·R..×R...∥R.×R..∥2 = 13⁢p2+12= simplify 13⁢p2+12→assign to a nameτ
Evaluate the right-hand side of the given identity
Context Panel: Student Vector Calculus≻Frenet Formalism≻Curvature≻p
Context Panel: Assign to a Name≻kappa
R = →curvature16⁢−16⁢2⁢−3⁢p2+3⁢csgn⁡1,p2+1csgn⁡p2+12⁢p2+1−13⁢2⁢−3⁢p2+3⁢pcsgn⁡p2+1⁢p2+12−2⁢pcsgn⁡p2+1⁢p2+12+−2⁢p⁢csgn⁡1,p2+1csgn⁡p2+12⁢p2+1−2⁢2⁢p2csgn⁡p2+1⁢p2+12+2csgn⁡p2+1⁢p2+12+−16⁢2⁢3⁢p2+3⁢csgn⁡1,p2+1csgn⁡p2+12⁢p2+1−13⁢2⁢3⁢p2+3⁢pcsgn⁡p2+1⁢p2+12+2⁢pcsgn⁡p2+1⁢p2+12⁢2csgn⁡p2+1⁢p2+1→assuming real13⁢p2+12→assign to a nameκ
Write the expression. Context Panel: Evaluate and Display Inline
−κ τ ρ2 = −2p2+12
Evaluate the left-hand side of the given identity
Calculus palette: Differentiation operator; extract T and B from the TNB-frame in Part (a)
Common Symbols palette: Dot product operator
ⅆⅆ p TNB1·ⅆⅆ p TNB3 = −2⁢pp2+1+2⁢p2−1⁢pp2+12⁢2⁢pp2+1−2⁢p2−1⁢pp2+12+−2⁢2⁢p2p2+12+2p2+1⁢2⁢2⁢p2p2+12−2p2+1= simplify −2p2+12
As a first recourse, use the tutor to explore the behavior of the TNB-frame along C.
Figure 2.6.4(b) shows the state of the tutor after it has been applied to C, the number of frames changed from the default 5 to 1, the axes changed to frame-style, and scaling set to constrained.
If the Animate option is selected, then the selected number of frames will be seen to traverse the curve.
Figure 2.6.4(b) Space Curve tutor
The following interactive construction results in an approximation to Figure 2.6.4(a).
Evaluate the TNB-frame at p=−1
Expression palette: Evaluation template
Context Panel: Assign to a Name≻TNBp
TNBx=a|f(x)p=−1 = →assign to a nameTNBp
Graph each vector in the evaluated TNB-frame
Type TNBpk,k=1,2,3, to reference respectively T−1,N−1,B−1
Context Panel: Student Vector Calculus≻Conversions≻To Free Vector
Context Panel: Plots≻Arrow from point≻−2,3,−4 (for x,y,z, respectively) Context Panel: Color≻black, red, green, respectively
TNBp1 = →to free Vector →plot arrow
TNBp2 = →to free Vector →plot arrow
TNBp3 = →to free Vector →plot arrow
Graph R and add the vectors of the TNB-frame
Context Panel: Student Vector Calculus: Conversions≻To List
Context Panel: Plots≻Plot Builder Set p∈−1.5,−0.5 Options: Constrained Scaling, color = blue, Axes = frame
Copy/paste the graphs of the three vectors
R = →to list−p3+3⁢p,3⁢p2,p3+3⁢p→
Unfortunately, there is no provision as yet to vary the "heft" of vectors graphed interactively.
Maple Solution - Coded
Install the Student VectorCalculus package.
withStudent:-VectorCalculus:
Execute the BasisFormat command.
Define C as the position vector R.
R≔3 p−p3,3 p2,3 p+ p3:
Invoke the TNBFrame command.
TNB≔simplifyTNBFrameR assuming p∷real
Apply the Torsion command.
τ≔simplifyTorsionR assuming p∷real
13⁢p2+12
Use the diff and Norm commands to obtain ρ.
ρ≔NormdiffR,p
3⁢2⁢p2+12
Apply the diff, DotProduct, and simplify commands, extracting B and N from the TNB-frame.
simplify−1ρ DotProductdiffTNB3,p,TNB2 assuming p∷real = 13⁢p2+12
Apply the diff command; R. is an Atomic Identifier.
R.≔diffR,p:
Apply the diff command; R.. is an Atomic Identifier.
R..≔diffR,p$2:
Apply the diff command; R... is an Atomic Identifier.
R...≔diffR,p$3:
Apply the DotProduct, CrossProduct, Norm, and simplify commands as appropriate.
simplifyDotProductR.,CrossProductR..,R...NormCrossProductR.,R..2 = 13⁢p2+12
Obtain κ by applying the Curvature and simplify commands to R.
κ≔simplifyCurvatureR assuming p∷real
Form the product on the right-hand side.
Obtain the left-hand side by applying the diff, DotProduct, and simplify commands, extracting T and B from the TNB-frame obtained in Part (a).
simplifyDotProductdiffTNB1,p,diffTNB3,p = −2p2+12
The TNBFrame command can return the TNB-frame, a graph of C along with a specified number of individual frames, or an animation of a frame moving along the curve. The following implementation of the command returns one frame at the point corresponding to p= −1.
TNBFrameR,range=−2..0,output=plot,caption=,frames=1,curveoptions=scaling=constrained,axes=frame,color=blue,labels=x,y,z,orientation=−65,70,0,tangentoptions=color=black,width=.2,normaloptions=color=red,width=.2,binormaloptions=color=green,width=.2
The following implementation of the TNBFrame command returns an animation of a single frame moving along C.
TNBFrameR,range=−2..0,output=animation,caption=,frames=30,curveoptions=scaling=constrained,axes=frame,color=blue,labels=z,y,z,orientation=−65,70,0,tangentoptions=color=black,width=.2,normaloptions=color=red,width=.2,binormaloptions=color=green,width=.2
A graph of C, along with the TNB-frame at p=−1, can be constructed with the following commands. The TNB-frame is evaluated at p=−1, but the resulting vectors are rooted at the symbolic point 3 p−p3,3 p2,3 p+ p3. Hence, these vectors are "converted" to vectors rooted at the contact point determined by R−1. Then they can be graphed with the PlotVector command. The PlotPositionVector is used to graph C (after R is converted to a position vector with the ConvertVector command), and the display command merges the two graphs.
V≔mapConvertVector,evalTNB,p=−1,rooted,−2,3,−4:p1≔PlotVectorV,color=black,red,green,width=.2:p2≔PlotPositionVectorConvertVectorR,position,p=−1.5..0,curveoptions=color=blue:plots:-displayp1,p2,scaling=constrained,axes=frame,labels=x,y,z,tickmarks=2,2,8,orientation=−65,70,0
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