On a special class of generalized conics with infinitely many focal points

Abstract

Let a continuous, piecewise smooth curve in the Euclidean space be given. We are going to investigate the surfaces formed by the vertices of generalized cones with such a curve as the common directrix and the same area. The basic geometric idea in the background is when the curve runs through the sides of a non-void triangle ABC. Then the sum of the areas of some triangles is constant for any point of such a surface. By the help of a growth condition we prove that these are convex compact surfaces in the space provided that the points A, B and C are not collinear. The next step is to introduce the general concept of awnings spanned by a curve. As an important example awnings spanned by a circle will be considered. Estimations for the volume of the convex hull will be also given.