Tracking critical points on evolving curves and surfaces

TL;DR

This paper develops a mathematical framework to analyze how critical points on evolving curves and surfaces change over time, especially in relation to geophysical abrasion, using bifurcation theory and stability analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a universal mathematical model for the evolution of critical points on smooth and discretized surfaces, linking micro and macro scale bifurcations and validating with simulations.

Findings

Bifurcations in smooth surfaces are coupled with those in discretized approximations.

Resonance phenomena can forecast downward jumps in critical points.

The model is structurally stable and verified through computer simulations.

Abstract

In recent years it became apparent that geophysical abrasion can be well characterized by the time evolution $N(t)$ of the number $N$ of static balance points of the abrading particle. Static balance points correspond to the critical points of the particle's surface represented as a scalar distance function $r$, measured from the center of mass, so their time evolution can be expressed as $N(r(t))$. The mathematical model of the particle can be constructed on two scales: on the macro scale the particle may be viewed as a smooth, convex manifold described by the smooth distance function $r$ with $N=N(r)$ equilibria, while on the micro scale the particle's natural model is a finely discretized, convex polyhedral approximation $r^{\Delta}$ of $r$, with $N^{\Delta}=N(r^{\Delta})$ equilibria. There is strong intuitive evidence suggesting that under some particular evolution models $N(t)$ and $N^{\Delta}(t)$ primarily evolve in the opposite manner. Here we create the mathematical framework necessary to understand these phenomenon more broadly, regardless of the particular evolution equation. We study micro and macro events in one-parameter families of curves and surfaces, corresponding to bifurcations triggering the jumps in $N(t)$ and $N^{\Delta}(t)$. We show that the intuitive picture developed for curvature-driven flows is not only correct, it has universal validity, as long as the evolving surface $r$ is smooth. In this case, bifurcations associated with $r$ and $r^{\Delta}$ are coupled to some extent: resonance-like phenomena in $N^{\Delta}(t)$ can be used to forecast downward jumps in $N(t)$ (but not upward jumps). Beyond proving rigorous results for the $\Delta \to 0$ limit on the nontrivial interplay between singularities in the discrete and continuum approximations we also show that our mathematical model is structurally stable, i.e. it may be verified by computer simulations.