The existence of sextactic points

Abstract

Let M be a plane oval (a smooth curve without inflexions). In this note we show that a generic such M (where the precise assumptions will be stated later) has to have at least one sextactic point, that is a point p where the unique conic touching M at p with at least 5-point contact actually has 6-point contact. This existence problem came into prominence whilst [2] was being written. It was hoped to use the existence of sextactic points to show that the Morse transition on a 1-parameter family of focoids with signature 0 or 2 could not occur. The problem proved to be remarkably stubborn, however. Indeed, the geometric interpretation of sextactic points as given in § 3 was totally unexpected.