On cusps of caustics by reflection in two dimensional projective Finsler metrics

Given a projective Finsler metric in a convex domain in the projective plane, that is, a metric in which geodesics are straight lines, consider the respective Finsler billiard system. Choose a generic point inside the table and consider the billiard trajectories that start at this point and undergo N reflection off the boundary. The envelope of the resulting 1-parameter family of straight lines is the Nth caustic by reflection. We prove that, for every N, it has at least four cusps, generalizing a similar result for Euclidean metric, obtained recently jointly with G. Bor.

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Publication Details

Journal
Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
Published
2025-01-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2298/tam250109004t
Primary Topic
Advanced Differential Geometry Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

On cusps of caustics by reflection in two dimensional projective Finsler metrics

Serge Tabachnikov
Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
Advanced Differential Geometry Research
article

On cusps of caustics by reflection in two dimensional projective Finsler metrics

Serge Tabachnikov
article en

Abstract

Given a projective Finsler metric in a convex domain in the projective plane, that is, a metric in which geodesics are straight lines, consider the respective Finsler billiard system. Choose a generic point inside the table and consider the billiard trajectories that start at this point and undergo N reflection off the boundary. The envelope of the resulting 1-parameter family of straight lines is the Nth caustic by reflection. We prove that, for every N, it has at least four cusps, generalizing a similar result for Euclidean metric, obtained recently jointly with G. Bor.

Theoretical and Applied MechanicsVol. 52(1)
Pennsylvania State University (US)
National Science Foundation
Openalex Percentile: Top 94%
Advanced Differential Geometry Research
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