On the use of the Rotation Minimizing Frame for Variational Systems with Euclidean Symmetry

We study variational systems for space curves, for which the Lagrangian or action principle has a Euclidean symmetry, using the Rotation Minimizing frame, also known as the Normal, Parallel or Bishop frame (see [1], [36]). Such systems have previously been studied using the Frenet–Serret frame. However, the Rotation Minimizing frame has many advantages, and can be used to study a wider class of examples. We achieve our results by extending the powerful symbolic invariant cal- culus for Lie group based moving frames, to the Rotation Minimizing frame case. To date, the invariant calculus has been developed for frames defined by algebraic equations. By contrast, the Rotation Minimizing frame is defined by a differential equation. In this paper, we derive the recurrence formulae for the symbolic invariant differentiation of the symbolic invariants. We then derive the syzygy operator needed to obtain Noether’s conservation laws as well as the Euler–Lagrange equations directly in terms of the invariants, for variational problems with a Euclidean symmetry. We show how to use the six Noether laws to ease the integration problem for the minimizing curve, once the Euler–Lagrange equations have been solved for the generating differential invariants. Our applications include variational problems used in the study of strands of pro- teins, nucleid acids and polymers.