Math 1113 (MHU) 1

: Lecture: 13-14 Curvature:

Curvature: The curvature is the rate of change of direction of the curve with respect to the arc that is the
Lt  d
curvature at any point P on the arc is P   .
s  s ds
Radius of Curvature: The reciprocal of the curvature at any point P is called the radius of curvature at P, and
1 ds
it is denoted by  . Thus    .
P d
H.W Theorem: Find the radius of the curvature at the origin?

Problem-1: Find the radius of curvature at the origin of the conic y  x  x 2  2 xy  y 2 .

Solution: Given that y  x  x 2  2 xy  y 2 .......................(i)
Differentiating Eq. (i) w.r.to x we get,
y1  1  2 x  2 y  2 xy1  2 yy1 ..........(ii) At the origin (0,0),  y1 0  1 .
Again differentiating Eq. (ii) w.r.to x we get,
y 2  2  2 y1  2 y1  2 xy 2  2 y1   2 yy 2
2
At the origin (0,0),  y2 0  8 .
1   y  
3
2 2

We know, the radius of curvature at the origin is   1 0

 y2 0
1   y    1  1 
3 3 3

Hence the radius of curvature at the origin is  

2 2
1 0
2 2

22 
2 2

2
Ans.
 y2 0 8 8 8 4

Problem-2: Find the radius of curvature of x  a  sin  , y  a1  cos   .

Solution: Given that x  a  sin  , .......................(i)
y  a1  cos   , ......................(ii)
Differentiating Eq. (i) w.r.to  we get,
dx
 x  a  a cos 
d
d 2x
 x   a sin 
d 2
Again differentiating Eq. (ii) w.r.to  we get,
dy
 y   a sin 
d
d2y
 y   a cos 
d 2
x 
3
 y2 2
2
We know, the radius of curvature, 
x y   y x 

x   
3 3
2
 y2 2 a 2 (1  cos ) 2  a 2 sin 2  2
Hence the radius of curvature at the origin is    2
xy   y x a cos  (1  cos  )  a 2 sin 2 
 
8 cos 3  
 a.  2   4a cos   Ans.
 
2  2
2 cos  
2
 Math 1113 (MHU) 2
Problem-3: Find the radius of curvature at the origin for the curve x  y  2 x  6 y  0 . 3 3 2

Solution: Given that x 3  y 3  2 x 2  6 y  0 .......................(i)

lt x2
We know the radius of curvature at the origin is  
x 0 2 y
y 0

3 2
x 2x
Now dividing Eq.(i) by y we get,  y2  60
y y
lt x3 lt lt 2 x 2
Taking limit we get,  y2  60
x 0 y x 0 x 0 y
y 0 y 0 y 0

lt x2
or, 0  0  4 60
x 0 2 y
y 0

or,  4   6  0
6 3
or,    Ans.
4 2
3
Thus the radius of curvature at the origin is Ans.
2

Problem-4: Find the radius of curvature at the origin for the curve x 3  y 3  3axy .
Solution: Given that x 3  y 3  3axy .......................(i)
Here we put, 𝑦 = 𝑝𝑥 + 𝑥 + ⋯ ⋯ where p   y1 0 and q   y 2 0 in the given equation,
!

we get 𝑥 + 𝑝𝑥 + 𝑥 + ⋯⋯ = 3𝑎𝑥 𝑝𝑥 + 𝑥 + ⋯⋯
! !

or, 𝑥 + 𝑝 𝑥 + 3. 𝑝 𝑥 . 𝑥 + 𝑥 + ⋯ ⋯ = 3𝑎𝑝𝑥 + 𝑎𝑞𝑥 + ⋯ ⋯

!
3
Now equating the coefficients of like powers of x , we get, 3ap  0 and aq  1  p 3
2
2
 p  0 and q 
3a

1 p 
3
2 2
We know, the radius of curvature at the origin is   .
q

1  p 
3 3

Thus the radius of curvature at the origin is  

2 2

1  02 
3a
Ans.
q 2 2
3a
 Math 1113 (MHU) 3
a x
Problem-5: Show that the radii of curvature of the curve y 2  x 2 for the origin are  a 2 and for the
ax
a
point ( a, 0) is .
4
ax
Solution: Given that y 2  x 2
ax
 a  x  y 2  ax 2  x 3 .......................(i)
Here we put, 𝑦 = 𝑝𝑥 + 𝑥 + ⋯ ⋯ where p   y1 0 and q   y 2 0 in the given equation (i),
!

we get (𝑎 − 𝑥) 𝑝𝑥 + 𝑥 + ⋯⋯ = 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑥
!

or, (𝑎 − 𝑥) 𝑝 𝑥 + 𝑝𝑞𝑥 + + ⋯ ⋯ = 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑥

or, 𝑎𝑝 𝑥 + 𝑎𝑝𝑞𝑥 + + ⋯ ⋯ − 𝑝 𝑥 − 𝑝𝑞𝑥 − + ⋯ ⋯ = 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑥

or, (𝑎𝑝 − 𝑎)𝑥 + (𝑎𝑝𝑞 − 𝑝 − 1)𝑥 + ⋯ ⋯ = 0
Now equating the coefficients of x 2 and x 3 equal to zero,
then we get, ap 2  a  0 and apq  p 2  1  0
2
or, p 2  1 and when p  1 then q  .
a
2
or, p  1 and when p  1 then q   .
a

1 p 
3
2 2
We know, the radius of curvature at the origin is   .
q
3 3

2 22 2 22
when p  1 and q  then   a 2 Again when p  1 and q   then    a 2
a 2 a 2

a a
Thus the radii of curvature at the origin is  a 2 Proved.
2nd Part: Let, f ( x, y )  a  x  y  ax  x ............................(ii)
2 2 3

Partially differentiating Eq.(ii) w.r.to x and y respectively we get,

f x   y 2  2ax  3 x 2 at the point ( a, 0) , f x  2a 2  3a 2   a 2
f xx  2a  6 x at the point ( a, 0) , f xx  2a  6a  4a
f xy  2 y at the point ( a, 0) , f xy  2 y  0
f y  2( a  x ) y at the point ( a, 0) , f y  2( a  x ) y  0
f yy  2( a  x ) at the point ( a, 0) , f yy  2( a  a )  4a

f 
3
2
 f y2 2
We know, the radius of curvature at any point is  
x
.
f x2 f yy  2 f x f y f xy  f y2 f xx

a 
3
0 2 a64
a
At the point ( a, 0) , the radius of curvature,   4  5  proved.
a . 4 a  0  0. 4 a 4 a 4
H.W. Problem-6: show that in the curve y 2  3 xy  4 x 2  x 3  x 4 y  y 5  0 the radii of curvature at the origin
85
are 17 and 5 2 .
2
 Math 1113 (MHU) 4
Evolute: The locus of the centre of curvature of all points of a given curve is called the evolute of that curve.
x2
Problem-7: Find the locus of the center of curvature of the parabola, y  .
4a
x2
or, Find the evolute of the parabola, y  .
4a
x2
Solution: Given that the parabola, y  ........................(i)
4a
Differentiating Eq. (i) w.r.to x we get,
x
y1 
2a
1
y2 
2a
y1 (1  y12 ) ( )
Hence x  x  ∵ 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒  𝑥̄ = 𝑥 − , 𝑦̄ = 𝑦 +
y2
x  x2 
1  2 
2a  4a 
 x
1
2a
3
x x3
 x  x  2   2 ...................(ii)
4a 4a
1  y12
and y  y 
y2
x2
1
 y 4a 2
1
2a
4a 2  x 2
 y
2a
x 2 4a 2  x 2
 
4a 2a
x 2  8a 2  2 x 2

4a
3x 2
y  2a  ..............(iii)
4a
From (i), (ii) and (iii) we eliminate x and y we get, 4(𝑦̄ − 2𝑎) = 27𝑎𝑥̄ .
Hence the locus of centre of curvature is 4(𝑦 − 2𝑎) = 27𝑎𝑥 which is an equation of the evolute.