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Arc length s of a logarithmic spiral as a function of its parameter θ. Arc length is the distance between two points along a section of a curve. Development of a formulation of arc length suitable for applications to mathematics and the sciences is a focus of calculus.
Any regular curve may be parametrized by the arc length (the natural parametrization). From the point of view of a theoretical point particle on the curve that does not know anything about the ambient space, all curves would appear the same. Different space curves are only distinguished by how they bend and twist.
The curve is thus parametrized in a preferred manner by its arc length. With a non-degenerate curve r(s), parameterized by its arc length, it is now possible to define the Frenet–Serret frame (or TNB frame): The tangent unit vector T is defined as :=.
Animation of the torsion and the corresponding rotation of the binormal vector. Let r be a space curve parametrized by arc length s and with the unit tangent vector T.If the curvature κ of r at a certain point is not zero then the principal normal vector and the binormal vector at that point are the unit vectors
This method is based on the observation that the "ideal" parameterization of a curve is arclength. Pseudo-arclength is an approximation of the arclength in the tangent space of the curve. The resulting modified natural continuation method makes a step in pseudo-arclength (rather than λ {\displaystyle \lambda } ).
A curve can be described, and thereby defined, by a pair of scalar fields: curvature and torsion , both of which depend on some parameter which parametrizes the curve but which can ideally be the arc length of the curve.
It is a dimensionless quantity that is invariant under similarity transformations of the curve, and that can be used to measure how far the curve is from being a convex curve. [ 1 ] If the curve is parameterized by its arc length , the total absolute curvature can be expressed by the formula
When the relation is a function, so that tangential angle is given as a function of arc length, certain properties become easy to manipulate. In particular, the derivative of the tangential angle with respect to arc length is equal to the curvature. Thus, taking the derivative of the Whewell equation yields a Cesàro equation for the same curve.