Paper 1, Section II, F

Geometry
Part IB, 2021

Let SR3S \subset \mathbb{R}^{3} be an oriented surface. Define the Gauss map NN and show that the differential DNpD N_{p} of the Gauss map at any point pSp \in S is a self-adjoint linear map. Define the Gauss curvature κ\kappa and compute κ\kappa in a given parametrisation.

A point pSp \in S is called umbilic if DNpD N_{p} has a repeated eigenvalue. Let SR3S \subset \mathbb{R}^{3} be a surface such that every point is umbilic and there is a parametrisation ϕ:R2S\phi: \mathbb{R}^{2} \rightarrow S such that S=ϕ(R2)S=\phi\left(\mathbb{R}^{2}\right). Prove that SS is part of a plane or part of a sphere. [[ Hint: consider the symmetry of the mixed partial derivatives nuv=nvun_{u v}=n_{v u}, where n(u,v)=N(ϕ(u,v))n(u, v)=N(\phi(u, v)) for (u,v)R2.]\left.(u, v) \in \mathbb{R}^{2} .\right]