Bruce, J.W. (1983) Wavefronts and parallels in Euclidean space. Mathematical Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 93 (2). pp. 323-333. ISSN 0305-0041 DOI https://doi.org/10.1017/S030500410006062X

Item not available from this archive.

Abstract

Given a smooth plane curve or surface in 3 its parallels consist of those curves or surfaces a fixed distance d down the normals in a fixed direction. Generically they have Legendre singularities. We are concerned here with the way in which these parallels change as we alter the distance d. (Alternatively the manner in which wave-fronts change as they evolve from an initial smooth wavefront.) This problem was considered in (1) by V. I. Arnold. In a very beautiful paper he describes the generic evolution of wavefronts but does not prove that for a generic initial wavefront in 2 or 3 the evolution is of the type described there. This we do here, using the tool of transversality. A more positive outcome of our investigation is that some of Arnold's generic forms do not occur (those corresponding to A2 singularities).

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics
Date Deposited:	10 Jan 2011 13:52
URI:	http://repository.edgehill.ac.uk/id/eprint/2166

Archive staff only

Item control page