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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.
The theory of curves is much simpler and narrower in scope than the theory of surfaces and its higher-dimensional generalizations because a regular curve in a Euclidean space has no intrinsic geometry. Any regular curve may be parametrized by the arc length (the natural parametrization).
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 :=.
If (u(t), v(t)), a ≤ t ≤ b represents a parametrized curve on this surface then its arc length can be calculated as the integral: ′ + ′ ′ + ′ (). The first fundamental form may be viewed as a family of positive definite symmetric bilinear forms on the tangent plane at each point of the surface depending smoothly on the point.
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
Let I ⊂ R be an open interval and let γ : I → R 2 be a smooth plane curve parametrised by arc length. Consider the one-parameter family of normal lines to γ(I). A line is normal to γ at γ(t) if it passes through γ(t) and is perpendicular to the tangent vector to γ at γ(t).
All catenary curves are similar to each other, since changing the parameter a is equivalent to a uniform scaling of the curve. The Whewell equation for the catenary is [ 35 ] tan φ = s a , {\displaystyle \tan \varphi ={\frac {s}{a}},} where φ {\displaystyle \varphi } is the tangential angle and s the arc length .
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 } ).