Can a smooth closed real plane curve intersect itself at infinitely many points? It seems intuitively obvious that the answer should be no, yet I have no idea how to prove this or construct a counter-example. Here by smooth I mean $C^1$. If the answer is no, to which $C^k$ do we have to move for this geometric condition to be satisfied?
Edit: Here is an attempt to formalize the above: Let $C$ be a closed curve and $P$ a point at its image. We say that $C$ intersects itself at P, if for all parametrizations $f: [a,b] \to C$ (which are of the same $C^k$ class as C), the equation $f(x)=P$ has at least two solutions in $[a,b]$. I think this would work for what I had in mind posing this question.
By the way, I have no idea if this is the same with the transversal intersection definition proposed below.