Generalized focal surfaces of spacelike curves lying in lightlike surfaces

Abstract

The main work of this paper is to investigate two kinds of generalized focal surfaces and two kinds of evolutes generated by spacelike curve lying in lightlike surfaces in Minkowski three‐space. Applying the method of unfolding theory in singularity theory to our study, it is shown that there exist the cuspidal edge and the swallowtail types of singularities in each of two classes of generalized focal surfaces under certain conditions; the only cusps will appear in each of evolutes. Two new geometric invariants are presented to classify the singularities of generalized focal surfaces and evolutes. Much more importantly, we reveal the correspondence among the geometric invariants, the types of singularities on generalized focal surfaces and evolutes, the singularities of two kinds of evolutes, and the contact of with the osculating spheres. Finally, several examples are presented to demonstrate the correctness of the theoretical results.