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Lecture Notes 16 U

The document contains lecture notes on curves and surfaces that discuss applications of the Gauss-Bonnet theorem. It lists 11 exercises that are simple consequences of the Gauss-Bonnet theorem. The exercises include showing that the sum of the angles in a triangle is π, that the total geodesic curvature of a simple closed planar curve is 2π, and that the Gaussian curvature of a torus must be equal to zero at some point.

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Sanjeev Shukla
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55 views2 pages

Lecture Notes 16 U

The document contains lecture notes on curves and surfaces that discuss applications of the Gauss-Bonnet theorem. It lists 11 exercises that are simple consequences of the Gauss-Bonnet theorem. The exercises include showing that the sum of the angles in a triangle is π, that the total geodesic curvature of a simple closed planar curve is 2π, and that the Gaussian curvature of a torus must be equal to zero at some point.

Uploaded by

Sanjeev Shukla
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Math 497C Dec 8, 20041

Curves and Surfaces


Fall 2004, PSU

Lecture Notes 16

2.14 Applications of the Gauss-Bonnet theorem


We talked about the Gauss-Bonnet theorem in class, and you may find the
statement and prove of it in Gray or do Carmo as well. The following are all
simple consequences of the Gauss-Bonnet theorem:

Exercise 1. Show that the sum of the angles in a triangle is π.

Exercise 2. Show that the total geodesic curvature of a simple closed planar
curve is 2π.

Exercise 3. Show that the Gaussian curvature of a surface which is home-


omorphic to the torus must alwasy be equal to zero at some point.

Exercise 4. Show that a simple closed curve with total geodesic curvature
zero on a sphere bisects the area of the sphere.

Exercise 5. Show that there exists at most one closed geodesic on a cylinder
with negative curvature.

Exercise 6. Show that the area of a geodesic polygon with k vertices on a


sphere of radius 1 is equal to the sum of its angles minus (k − 2)π.

Exercise 7. Let p be a point of a surface M , T be a geodesic triangle which


contains p, and α, β, γ be the angles of T . Show that
α+β+γ−π
K(p) = lim .
T →p Area(T )

In particular, note that the above proves Gauss’s Theorema Egregium.


1
Last revised: December 8, 2004

1
Exercise 8. Show that the sum of the angles of a geodesic triangle on a
surface of positive curvature is more than π, and on a surface of negative
curvature is less than π.

Exercise 9. Show that on a simply connected surface of negative curvature


two geodesics emanating from the same point will never meet.

Exercise 10. Let M be a surface homeomorphic to a sphere in R3 , and let


Γ ⊂ M be a closed geodesic. Show that each of the two regions bounded by
Γ have equal areas under the Gauss map.

Exercise 11. Compute the area of the pseudo-sphere, i.e. the surface of
revolution obtained by rotating a tractrix.

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