Skip to main content
Log in

On Some Simple Methods to Derive the Hairclip and Paperclip Solutions of the Curve Shortening Flow

  • Published:
Acta Mathematica Scientia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We use two simple methods to derive four important explicit graphical solutions of the curve shortening flow in the plane. They are well-known as the circle, hairclip, paperclip, and grim reaper solutions of the curve shortening flow. By the methods, one can also see that the hairclip and the paperclip solutions both converge to the grim reaper solutions as t → −∞.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Andrews B, Bryan P. A comparison theorem for the isoperimetric profile under curve-shortening flow. Comm Anal Geom, 2011, 19(3): 503–539

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  2. Angenent S. On the formation of singularities in the curve shortening flow. J Diff Geom, 1991, 33: 601–633

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  3. Angenent S. Shrinking doughnuts, Nonlinear diffusion equations and their equilibrium states, 3 (Gregynog, 1989)//Progr Nonlinear Differential Equations Appl, Vol 7. Boston, MA: Birkhauser, 1992: 21–38

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bakas I, Sourdis C. Dirichlet sigma models and mean curvature flow. J High Energy Phys, 2007, (6): 057

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  5. Broadbridge P, Vassiliouz P J. The role of symmetry and separation in surface evolution and curve shortening. Symmetry Integr Geom, 2011, 7: 052

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Chou K S, Qu C Z. Integrable equations arising from motions of plane curves. Phys D, 2002, 162(1/2): 9–33

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  7. Chou K S, Zhu X P. The Curve Shortening Problem. Chapman & Hall/CRC, 2001

  8. Daskalopoulos P, Hamilton R, Sesum N. Classification of compact ancient solutions to the curve shortening flow. J Diff Geom, 2010, 84: 455–464

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  9. Doyle P W, Vassiliou P J. Separation of variables for the 1-dimensional non-linear diffusion equation. Int J Non-Linear Mech, 1998, 33: 315–326

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  10. Ecker K, Huisken G. Mean curvature evolution of entire graphs. Ann Math, 1989, 130(3): 453–471

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  11. Grayson M A. The heat equation shrinks embedded plane curves to round points. J Diff Geom, 1987, 26: 285–314

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  12. Gurtin M E. Thermomechanics of Evolving Phase Boundaries in the Plane, Oxford Mathematical Monographs. New York: The Clarendon Press, Oxford University Press, 1993

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  13. Gage M E, Hamilton R. The heat equation shrinking convex plane curves. J Diff Geom, 1986, 23: 69–96

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  14. Lukyanov S, Vitchev E, Zamolodchikov A B. Integrable model of boundary interaction: The paperclip. Nuclear Physics B, 2004, 683: 423–454

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  15. Visintin A. Models of Phase Transitions. Progress in Nonlinear Differential Equations and their Applications, 28. Boston, MA: Birkhäser Boston, Inc, 1996

    Google Scholar 

  16. Zhu X P. Lectures on Mean Curvature Flows. AMS/IP Studies in Adv Math 32. Amer Math Soc, Int Press, 2002

Download references

Acknowledgements

The material in Section 3 (except Lemma 3.6) is due to Professors Yng-Ing Lee, Mao-Pei Tsui, and Dr. Kuo-Wei Lee of the National Taiwan University. The authors thank them for their kind help.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dong-Ho Tsai.

Additional information

Research of the first author was supported by MoST of Taiwan under grant number 105-2115-M-007-013 and research of the second author was supported by NSF of Jiangsu Province (BK20161412), and the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China (2016T90399, 2014M561542).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tsai, DH., Wang, X. On Some Simple Methods to Derive the Hairclip and Paperclip Solutions of the Curve Shortening Flow. Acta Math Sci 39, 1674–1694 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10473-019-0616-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10473-019-0616-5

Key words

2010 MR Subject Classification

Navigation