{"paper":{"title":"The geometry of whips","license":"http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/","headline":"","cross_cats":["math.AP"],"primary_cat":"math.DG","authors_text":"Stephen C. Preston","submitted_at":"2011-05-09T18:50:17Z","abstract_excerpt":"In this paper we study geometric aspects of the space of arcs parametrized by unit speed in the $L^2$ metric. Physically this corresponds to the motion of a whip, and it also arises in studying shape recognition. The geodesic equation is the nonlinear, nonlocal wave equation $\\eta_{tt} = \\partial_s(\\sigma \\eta_s)$, with $\\lvert \\eta_s\\rvert\\equiv 1$ and $\\sigma$ given by $\\sigma_{ss}- \\lvert \\eta_{ss}\\rvert^2 \\sigma = -\\lvert \\eta_{st}\\rvert^2$, with boundary conditions $\\sigma(t,1)=\\sigma(t,-1)=0$ and $\\eta(t,0)=0$. We prove that the space of arcs is a submanifold of the space of all curves, "},"claims":{"count":0,"items":[],"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"source":{"id":"1105.1754","kind":"arxiv","version":1},"verdict":{"id":null,"model_set":{},"created_at":null,"strongest_claim":"","one_line_summary":"","pipeline_version":null,"weakest_assumption":"","pith_extraction_headline":""},"references":{"count":0,"sample":[],"resolved_work":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57","internal_anchors":0},"formal_canon":{"evidence_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"author_claims":{"count":0,"strong_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"builder_version":"pith-number-builder-2026-05-17-v1"}