4.II.24H

Differential Geometry
Part II, 2006

(a) Let SR3S \subset \mathbb{R}^{3} be an oriented surface and let λ\lambda be a real number. Given a point pSp \in S and a vector vTpSv \in T_{p} S with unit norm, show that there exist ε>0\varepsilon>0 and a unique curve γ:(ε,ε)S\gamma:(-\varepsilon, \varepsilon) \rightarrow S parametrized by arc-length and with constant geodesic curvature λ\lambda such that γ(0)=p\gamma(0)=p and γ˙(0)=v\dot{\gamma}(0)=v.

[You may use the theorem on existence and uniqueness of solutions of ordinary differential equations.]

(b) Let SS be an oriented surface with positive Gaussian curvature and diffeomorphic to S2S^{2}. Show that two simple closed geodesics in SS must intersect. Is it true that two smooth simple closed curves in SS with constant geodesic curvature λ0\lambda \neq 0 must intersect?