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Let x(t) be a periodic function on [0, 2$\pi$]. I am interested in finding criteria in terms of the Fourier coefficients of x(t), such that the parametric curve $\left\{ x\left( t\right) ,\dot{x}\left( t\right) \right\} $ is star-convex with respect to the origin. Is this a problem with a known solution? Is there any literature on this problem?

My starting point is to see where such a parametric curve would "graze" a ray from the origin. The resulting trig equation is $x\left( t\right) \ddot{x}\left( t\right) -\dot{x}\left( t\right) ^{2}=0$. I can find the multiplicity-2 (or higher) zeroes of this trig equation and this way I would have implicit hypersurfaces in the space of the Fourier coefficients that would "carve out" regions of star-convex shapes.

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  • $\begingroup$ Is "star-convex" the same as "star-shaped"? $\endgroup$
    – Igor Rivin
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 2:55
  • $\begingroup$ Yes. By star convex I mean a set that contains a point such that all line segments from that point to all points of the set is in the set. $\endgroup$
    – DrT
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 7:18
  • $\begingroup$ But your set here is a curve, no? $\endgroup$
    – Igor Rivin
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 15:56
  • $\begingroup$ For the curve it means that any ray from the origin intersects the curve in one point only. $\endgroup$
    – DrT
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 20:03

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