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Chap II.]
33
VARIABLE MOTION.

and adding one to each side of the last equation, it becomes

Whence

But it has been shown that ; hence in a plane curve the rdius of curvature is

We may imagine MN to be the projection of a curve of double curvature on the plane then

will be the projection of the radius of curvature on and it is evident that a similar expression will be found for the projection of the radius of curvature on each of the other co-ordinate planes. In fact is the sagitta of curvature ; for

or

the arc being indefinitely small, the tangent may be considered as coinciding with it. Thus the three projections of the sagitta of curvature of the surface, or curve of double curvature, are

hence the sum of their squares is

and the radius of curvature of a surface, or curve of double curvature, is

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