TY - JOUR
T1 - On the unfolding of simple closed curves
AU - Pardon, John
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2009/4
Y1 - 2009/4
N2 - We show that every rectifiable simple closed curve in the plane can be continuously deformed into a convex curve in a motion which preserves arc length and does not decrease the Euclidean distance between any pair of points on the curve. This result is obtained by approximating the curve with polygons and invoking the result of Connelly, Demaine, and Rote that such a motion exists for polygons. We also formulate a generalization of their program, thereby making steps toward a fully continuous proof of the result. To facilitate this, we generalize two of the primary tools used in their program: the Farkas Lemma of linear programming to Banach spaces and the Maxwell-Cremona Theorem of rigidity theory to apply to stresses represented by measures on the plane.
AB - We show that every rectifiable simple closed curve in the plane can be continuously deformed into a convex curve in a motion which preserves arc length and does not decrease the Euclidean distance between any pair of points on the curve. This result is obtained by approximating the curve with polygons and invoking the result of Connelly, Demaine, and Rote that such a motion exists for polygons. We also formulate a generalization of their program, thereby making steps toward a fully continuous proof of the result. To facilitate this, we generalize two of the primary tools used in their program: the Farkas Lemma of linear programming to Banach spaces and the Maxwell-Cremona Theorem of rigidity theory to apply to stresses represented by measures on the plane.
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U2 - 10.1090/S0002-9947-08-04781-8
DO - 10.1090/S0002-9947-08-04781-8
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77950681792
VL - 361
SP - 1749
EP - 1764
JO - Transactions of the American Mathematical Society
JF - Transactions of the American Mathematical Society
SN - 0002-9947
IS - 4
ER -