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Hans-Peter Stricker
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Geodesics on a twisted torus

This is a repost of a question I posted at MSE.

Mark L. Irons' paper The Curvature and Geodesics of the Torus gives a concise overview of the geodesics on the torus:

  • There are five clear-cut families of geodesics.
  • Most of the geodesics are "ergodic": aperiodic and covering either the entire surface - by spiraling endlessly around - or substantial parts of it.
  • Some of the geodesics are "boring": the meridians, the inner and the outer equator
  • A few of them are "æsthetically pleasing": returning to their starting point after just a few circuits.

Does the structure of geodesics change when twisting the "hose" before gluing its ends?

alt text http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Torus_from_rectangle.gif

E.g., there might be no equators anymore because after twisting the (two) equators lost their "ends".

Hans-Peter Stricker
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