MHB What is the relationship between Gaussian curvature and volume forms?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Euge
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    2015
Euge
Gold Member
MHB
POTW Director
Messages
2,072
Reaction score
245
Here's this week's problem!

_______________

Problem. Let $X$ be a surface imbedded in $\Bbb R^3$. Show that if $K$ is the Gaussian curvature of $X$, then $$K(x) = \lim_{V\downarrow x} \frac{\text{vol}_{\Bbb S^2}(N(V))}{\text{vol}_X(V)}$$ where $N : X\to \Bbb S^2$ is the Gauss map, $\text{vol}_X$ and $\text{vol}_{\Bbb S^2}$ are volume forms on $X$ and $\Bbb S^2$, respectively, and the limit is taken over all neighborhoods $V$ of $x$ decreasing to $x$.

_______________Remember to read the http://www.mathhelpboards.com/showthread.php?772-Problem-of-the-Week-%28POTW%29-Procedure-and-Guidelines to find out how to http://www.mathhelpboards.com/forms.php?do=form&fid=2!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
No one answered this week's problem. You can find my solution below.

If $r(u,v)$ is a parametrization of $X$, then $dN(r_u) = N_u$ and $dN(r_v) = N_v$. Thus

$$\|dN(r_u) \times dN(r_v)\| = |\operatorname{det}(dN)| \|N_u \times N_v\| = K\|N_u \times N_v\|.$$

Since $dN(r_u) \times dN(r_v) = K(N_u \times N_v)$, we have $N^*(\sigma_{\Bbb S^2}) = K\operatorname{vol}_X$. Therefore,

$$\operatorname{Area}(N(V)) = \iint_{N(V)} \sigma_{\Bbb S^2} = \iint_V N^*(\sigma_{\Bbb S^2}) = \iint_V K\operatorname{vol}_X.$$ Therefore

$$K(x) = \lim_{V\downarrow x} \frac{\operatorname{Area}(N(V))}{\operatorname{vol}_X(V)}.$$
 
Back
Top