Preprint

Inserted: 6 nov 2026
Last Updated: 6 nov 2026

Year: 2026

Abstract:

We consider a closed planar curve evolving by the free or the length-preserving elastic flow. We prove that the scale-invariant bound \[ L\int k^2\,ds\le 4\pi^2+8/3 \] at the initial time prevents the entire curve from crossing any line between two times. For the free flow, the proof combines a monotonicity estimate for the normalized bending energy with a barrier that compares centroid motion to an expanding energy radius. For the length-preserving flow, a quantitative gradient estimate controls the total centroid displacement.