Curvature and torsion of coordinate curve on the sphere

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find the curvature and torsion of a $v=v_0$ (= constant) coordinate curve on the sphere $x(u,v)= (a.\cos u.\sin v$, $a.\sin u .\sin v $, $a.\cos v$), $\;0 < u < 2\pi$ , $0 < v < \pi$

I couldn't find how to solve because the two variables $(u,v)$. Any help is appreciated.

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Here is a direct approach. Let us use geographical terms.

$v$ is colatitude (= 90° - latitude) : we have a fixed $z=z_0=a \cos v_0$ ; it means that we are cutting the sphere with a horizontal plane. The result is necessarily a circle. We have what is called a parallel (see remark below); let us check that its projection on the $xOy$ plane is a circle ; indeed it has the following equation

$$x^2+y^2=a^2 (\sin v_0)^2 \left[(\cos t)^2+(\sin t)^2\right]=(a \sin v_0)^2$$

that of a circle with radius $R=a \sin v_0$.

As a consequence this curve :

  • has torsion $0$ (because it is a plane curve),

  • for its curvature, the inverse of its radius of curvature : $K=1/R=1/(a \sin v_0)$.

Remark : Some parallels are famous : for example the Tropic of Cancer (latitude $\approx 23.5°$, colatitude $66.5°$), the Artic circle (invert the values given just before ; do you know why ?), the Equator...