Paper 2, Section II, G

Differential Geometry | Part II, 2014

Define the terms Gaussian curvature KK and mean curvature HH for a smooth embedded oriented surface SR3S \subset \mathbf{R}^{3}. [You may assume the fact that the derivative of the Gauss map is self-adjoint.] If K=H2K=H^{2} at all points of SS, show that both HH and KK are locally constant. [Hint: Use the symmetry of second partial derivatives of the field of unit normal vectors.]

If K=H2=0K=H^{2}=0 at all points of SS, show that the unit normal vector N\mathbf{N} to SS is locally constant and that SS is locally contained in a plane. If K=H2K=H^{2} is a strictly positive constant on SS and ϕ:US\phi: U \rightarrow S is a local parametrization (where UU is connected) on SS with unit normal vector N(u,v)\mathbf{N}(u, v) for (u,v)U(u, v) \in U, show that ϕ(u,v)+N(u,v)/H\phi(u, v)+\mathbf{N}(u, v) / H is constant on UU. Deduce that SS is locally contained in a sphere of radius 1/H1 /|H|.

If SS is connected with K=H2K=H^{2} at all points of SS, deduce that SS is contained in either a plane or a sphere.

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