Theorem on six vertices of a plane curve via the Sturm theory

Abstract

We discuss the theorem on the existence of six points on a convex closed plane curve in which the curve has a contact of order six with the osculating conic. (This is the ``projective version'' of the well known four vertices theorem for a curve in the Euclidean plane.) We obtain this classical fact as a corollary of some general Sturm-type theorems.

arXiv comment10 pages, 4 Postscript figures