Instructor: Longfei Li Math 243 Lecture Notes

13.3 Arc Length and Curvature

Arc Length
We learned the length of a curve in 2D is the limit of lengths of inscribed polygons, and we obtained
the formula:
L =

b
a

[f

(t)]
2
+ [g

(t)]
2
dt
if the curve has the parametric equations x = f(t) and y = g(t) and both f

and g

are continuous.
Similarly, the length for a curve in space with a vector equation r(t) =< f(t), g(t), h(t) >, a t b
is given by the formula
L =

b
a

[f

(t)]
2
+ [g

(t)]
2
+ [h

(t)]
2
dt
provided f

, g

, h

are all continuous.

We can write the formula into a more compact form:
L =

b
a
|r

(t)|dt
Example: Find the length of the arc of the circular helix with vector equation r(t) = cos ti +sin tj +tk
from the point (1, 0, 0) to (1, 0, 2).
Solution:
The curve from the point (1, 0, 0) to (1, 0, 2) is corresponding to the parameter t from 0 to 2, i.e.
0 t 2. So
L =

2
0
|r

(t)|dt =

2
0

[sin(t)]
2
+ [cos t]
2
+ [1]
2
dt =

2
0

1 + 1dt = 2

2
1
Figure 1: This is the graph that the equation r(t) = cos ti +sin tj +tk from
the point (1, 0, 0) to (1, 0, 2) represents
A single curve C can be represented by a vector equation
r(t) =< f(t), g(t), h(t) >,
and the vector equation is called a parametrization of the curve C.
Remark: Parametrizations of a curve is not unique.
For instance, the twisted cubic
r(t) =< t, t
2
, t
3
>, 1 t 2
can also be represented by the parametrization
r(u) =< e
u
, e
2u
, e
3u
>, 0 u ln 2
provided t = e
u
.
Remark: Reparametrize a curve is similar to change of variables.
The arc length arises naturally from the shape the curve and does not depend on parametrization.
Arc Length Function: Suppose C is curve given by a vector function
r(t) = f(t)i + g(t)j + h(t)k, a t b
where r

is continuous and C is traversed once as t increases from a to b.

Denition The arc length function s is dened by
s(t) =

t
a
|r

(u)|du
Remark: s(t) is the arc length of the part C between r(a) and r(t).
According to the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, we have
ds
dt
= |r

(t)|
Often times, its useful to parametrize a curve with respect to its arc length because arc length is
independent on parametrizations.
2
Example: Reparametrize the line r(t) =< 2t, 1 3t, 5 +4t > with respect to arc length measured from
(0, 1, 5) in the direction of increasing t.
Solution:
The arc length measured from the point (0, 1, 5) corresponding to t = 0. To reparametrize the curve
w.r.t. the arc length, we need the relation between s and t. Since
ds
dt
= |r

(t)| = | < 2, 3, 4 > | =

29 s(t) =

t
0
|r

(u)|du =

t
0

29du =

29t
Therefore,
t =
s

29
,
and the reparametrization is obtained by substituting for t
r(s) =< 2
s

29
, 1 3
s

29
, 5 + 4
s

29
>
Curvature
A parametrization r(t) is called smooth on an interval I if r

(t) is continuous and nonzero.

A curve is called smooth if it has a smooth parametrization (No sharp corners or cusps; tangent vector
turns smoothly.)
Note that when C is nearly straight, the direction of tangent vector changes slowly; when C bends or
twists more sharply, the direction of tangent vector changes more quickly.
Curvature at a point is dened to measure how quickly the curve changes direction at that point.
Denition: The curvature of a curve is
=

dT
ds

where T is the unit tangent vector. Remark: dierentiate with respect to arc length.
Its easier to compute a curvature if it is expressed in terms of t instead of s.
3
From Chain Rule:
dT
dt
=
dT
ds
ds
dt

dT
ds
=
dT
dt

ds
dt
We know
ds
dt
= |r

(t)|,
So
(t) =
|T

(t)|
|r

(t)|
The curvature of the curve given by the vector function r:
(t) =
|r

(t) r

(t)|
|r

(t)|
3
(Read theorem 10 in the textbook for the proof)
For a plane curve, y = f(x), curvature can be given by
(x) =
|f

(x)|
[1 + (f

(x))
2
]
3/2
(This formula is derived from the vector equation formula by using r =< x, f(x), 0 >)
Example:
Find the curvature of the curve given by r(t) =< a cos t, a sin t, 0 >.
Solution:
r

(t) =< a sin t, a cos t, 0 >

r

(t) =< a cos t, a sin t, 0 >

So
|r

(t) r

(t)| = |(a
2
sin
2
t + a
2
cos
2
t)k| = |a
2
k| = a
2
and
|r

(t)| = a
Therefore, from the formula given by the vector function:
(t) =
|r

(t) r

(t)|
|r

(t)|
3
=
a
2
a
3
=
1
a
Remark: r(t) in this example represents a circle with radius a. The results shows larger circles have
smaller curvature while smaller circles have lager curvature.
4
The Normal and Binormal Vectors
Sometimes its useful to have a moving reference frame.
Remark: Reference frame is a set of orthogonal vectors
We have already introduced the unit tangent vector T(t) =
r

(t)
|r

(t)|
. We need a vector orthogonal to
T. Recall from the example of previous lecture that |T| = 1 T

T = 0, i.e., T

is orthogonal to T.
T

is not necessarily a unit vector, but if r is smooth, and r

= 0, we can nd the corresponding unit

vector of T

.
Denition: The principle unit normal vector is dened by
N(t) =
T

(t)
|T

(t)|
Remark: N(t) indicates the direction where the curve is turning.
We need another unit vector that is orthogonal to both T and N to get a reference frame in 3D space.
Denition: The binormal vector is dened by
B(t) = T(t) N(t)
Remark: B is a unit vector because |B| = |TN| = |T||N| sin

2
= 1
We call the plane containing N and B at a point P the normal plane of the curve at P (It consists of
all lines orthogonal to T)
Formula Summary:
T(t) =
r

(t)
|r

(t)|
, N(t) =
T

(t)
|T

(t)|
, B(t) = T(t) N(t)
(t) =

dT
ds

=
|T

(t)|
|r

(t)|
=
|r

(t) r

(t)|
|r

(t)|
3
5