Dierential Geometry Notes

Dierential Geometry is the study of the local structure of geometric objects (such as
curves and surfaces).
We normally assume that these objects are continuous and dierentiable (to whatever
degree necessary).
Local properties are characterized by the derivatives (in dierent combinations) of the
object.
Much of DG relies on expressing quantities in terms of a local coordinate system that
depends on the shape of the object.
Often, DG is concerned with the characterization of invariants.
An invariant is a measure (scalar, vector, matrix, tensor) which does not change under
certain kinds of transformations (e.g. translation-rotation).
Invariants are interesting because we would like to make measurements about objects
that do not depend on their position/orientation wrt the camera.
1 Representing shapes (e.g. curves)
Parametric:
Sampled:
Implicit:
Plane Curves
A space curve is a 1D manifold (number of independent variables) embedded in a 3D space.
Therefore there are two dimensions that are orthongonal to the manifold.
A surface is a 2D manifold embedded in a 3D space, and therefore it has 1 dimension
that is orthogonal to the manifold.
For this reason, it is useful to study a 1D manifold in a 2D space, which also has 1
orthogonal dimension. Such an object is called a plane curve.
C = {x(s) : a x b}
The function x(s) is a vector function of a scaler argument (s).
That is
x : S IR
2
where S IR
The tangent unit vector is
t(s) =
dx(s)/ds
||dx(s)/ds||
1
The normal unit vector is
n(s) =
dt(s)/ds
||dt(s)/ds||
Draw picture of coordinate system
The speed of a parameteric curve is dened as
(s) = ||dx(s)/ds||
The curvature of a parametric curve is
(s) =
n(s) dt(s)/ds
(s)
Given an initial location and orientation, only (s) and (s) are necessary to completely
reconstruct a planar curve.
Note: one way to describe a planer curve is with the scaler function (s). This description
is invariant to rotation/translation. Therefore, we could compare curvature signatures of
objects to compare.
Space Curves
A curve in 3D.
C = {x(s) : a x b}
The function x(s) is a vector function of a scaler argument (s).
That is
x : S IR
3
where S IR
Only smooth curves are considered (continuous rst and second derivatives).
The tangent unit vector is
t(s) =
dx(s)/ds
||dx(s)/ds||
The normal unit vector is
n(s) =
dt(s)/ds
||dt(s)/ds||
The binormal unit vector is
b(s) = t(s) n(s)
Draw picture of coordinate system (from page 67 of Besl)
The speed of a parameteric curve is dened as
(s) = ||dx(s)/ds||
2
Any curve without singularities, i.e. dx(s)/ds = 0 s S, can be reparameterized in
terms of arc length. The curve has the same shape, but has a new parameter u, such that
dx(u)/du = 1 u U.
Such a curve is said to be parameterized by arc length.
The curvature of a parametric curve is
(s) =
n(s) dt(s)/ds
(s)
The torsion of a parameter curve C is dened as
(s) =
n(s) db(s)/ds
(s)
Space curves without torsion must lie in a plane in 3D, and thus a plane curve can be
represented as a space curve without torsion.
These denitions provide a complete dierential description of a space curve. That is,
the curve can be reconstructed from these functions.
Considering orthongal group transformations, the directions of the vectors rotation with
the rotation of the coordinate system, but the values of , , and are invariant to or-
thogonal group transformations.
These properties are intrinsic to the curve. They dont depend on arbitrary aspects like
the parameterization or the coordinate system in which we express the curve.
Surfaces in 3D
Curvature, torsion, and speed, uniquely determine the shape of a space curve. These charac-
teristics are useful because they are are invariant to orthongonal coordinate transformations
and they have a one-to-one relationship with the shape of the curve.
Similar quantities exist for surfaces.
A surface S is dened as
S =
_
_
_
x(s) =
_
_
x
y
z
_
_
:
_
_
x
y
z
_
_
=
_
_
x(u, v)
y(u, v)
z(u, v)
_
_
where (u, v) D IR
2
_
_
_
That is
x : D IR
3
where D IR
2
The invariants that describe surface shape are not scalers, they are vectors/tensors. There
are two. They are called the rst and second fundimental forms.
FFF is denoted I. It is
I(u, v, du, dv) = dx dx = Edu
2
+ 2Fdudv + Gdv
2
= (du dv)
_
g
11
g
12
g
21
g
22
__
du
dv
_
= du
T
(g) du
3
g
11
= E = x
u
x
u
g
22
= G = x
v
x
v
g
12
= g
21
= F = x
u
x
v
where the subscripts denote the partial derivatives
x
u
(u, v) =
x
u
=
_
_
x
u
y
u
z
u
_
_
x
v
(u, v) =
x
v
=
_
_
x
v
y
v
z
v
_
_
Where x
u
and x
v
are called the x-tangent vector and u-tangent vector respectively.
They may or may not be orthongal, but they both lie in the tangent plane to the surface.
Draw picture of coordinate system in tangent plane
The FFF is the generalization of the speed associated with a space curve. Because there
are two directions you can go, you need a 2x2 matrix.
The FFF tells how much movement (and in what direction) you get on the surface dx
for a little bit of movement (du, dv).
Notice the FFF is invariant to orthogonal group transformations.
The Second Fundimental Form (or II) is:
II(u, v, du, dv) = dx dn = edu
2
+ 2fdudv + gdv
2
= (du dv)
_
b
11
b
12
b
21
b
22
__
du
dv
_
= du
T
(b) du
where the matrix elements are dened as
b
11
= e = x
uu
n
b
22
= f = x
vv
n
b
21
= b
12
= g = x
uv
n
Where the subscripts denote the partial derivatives
x
uu
(u, v) =

2
x
u
2
=
_
_

2
x
u
2

2
y
u
2

2
z
u
2
_
_
4
The surface normal is dened by
n(u, v) =
x
u
x
v
||x
u
x
v
||
= Unit Normal Vector
The SFF characterizes the relationship between small movements in parameters du and
changes in surface normal dn.
Consider a special case where the parameterization is orthormal. Then
b
11
= E = x
u
x
u
= 1
b
22
= G = x
v
x
v
= 1
b
12
= g
21
= F = x
u
x
v
= 0
And the rst fudamental form is the identity matrix. The SFF is the same as the shape
operator.
1.1 Surface Curvature
We could think of this as a local second-order model of the surface. Fit a parabola. It has
a long axis, short axis, and orientation. This this the info contained in SFF.
We can express the derivatives of the normal (in terms of the parameterization) as
= (b)(g)
1
=
1
EGF
2
_
fF eG eF fE
gF fG fF gE
_
This is called the Weingarten Mapping matrix or the shape operator. It is the generalization
of the curvature of plane curves (which has a term that accounts for speed). It expresses the
curvature independent of the parameterization.
The eigenvectors of are called the principle axes and their associated eigenvalues are
called the principle curvatures as one moves a vector around in the tangent plane, the
curvature increases, reaches a maximum, decreases reaches a minimum, and then reaches a
max again at 180 degrees.
Notice that each du has a corresponding dx
There are several aspects of curvature that are important:
Principle curvatures: These are the eigenvalues of .
k =
1
2
(
11
+
22
)
_
1
4
(
11
+
22
)
2
(
11

22

12
21)
Gaussian Curvature: This is the product of the eigenvalues (or the determinant of ).
k = det
_
=
eg f
2
EGF
2
_
5
Mean Curvature:
H =
1
2
(k
1
+ k
2
) =
1
2
(a
11
+ a
22
) =
1
2
eG2fF + gE
EGF
2
Deviation from Flatness (total curvature):
D
2
= |||| =
2
11
+ 2
2
12
+
2
22
This is the total magnitude of the curvature. It can also be computed
D
2
= k
2
1
+ k
2
2
= H
2
K
Using these measures we can classify points on surfaces according to type.
k
1
< 0 k
1
= 0 k
1
> 0
k
2
< 0 convex/peak parabolic/ridge hyperbolic/saddle
k
2
= 0 parabolic/ridge planar/at parabolic/valley
k
2
> 0 hyperbolic/saddle parabolic/valley concave/pit
Describe how these properties can be determinded from K and H
Dubin indicatrix.
6
Dierential Geometry Examples
Scientic Visualization, CS6630
2 Space Curve: Helix with Radius R and length H
X(s) =
_
_
Rcos s
Rsin s
Hs
_
_
(1)
X
s
=
_
_
Rsin s
Rcos s
H
_
_
(2)
= ||X
s
|| = (X
s
X
s
)
1
2
=
_
H
2
+ R
2
_1
2
(3)
t =
1
(H
2
+ R
2
)
1
2
_
_
Rsin s
Rcos s
H
_
_
(4)
t
s
=
1
(H
2
+ R
2
)
1
2
_
_
Rcos s
Rsin s
0
_
_
(5)
k =
1

t
s

=
R
H
2
+ R
2
(6)
n =
t
s

t
s

=
_
_
cos s
sin s
0
_
_
(7)
b =
t n
||t n||
=
1
(H
2
+ R
2
)
1
2
_
_
H sin s
H cos s
R
_
_
(8)
b
s
==
1
(H
2
+ R
2
)
1
2
_
_
H cos s
H sin s
0
_
_
(9)
=
1
b
s
n =
1
H
2
+ R
2
_
_
H cos s
H sin s
R
_
_

_
_
cos s
sin s
0
_
_
=
H
H
2
+ R
2
(10)
Questions:
1. Describe the direction of normal in terms of the geometry of the helix.
2. What happens to the curvature as H and why?
3. What happens to the binormal as H 0.
7
Surface: Quadratic
This is kind of a complicated example to compute by hand, but the result gives some insight
into how this stu works and insight into the shapes of quadratic surfaces.
X(u, v) =
_
_
u
v
Au
2
+ Bv
2
_
_
(11)
X
u
=
_
_
1
0
2Au
_
_
(12)
X
v
=
_
_
0
1
2Bv
_
_
(13)
n = X
u
X
v
=
1
S
_
_
2Au
2Bv
1
_
_
(14)
where
S =
_
1 + 4A
2
u
2
+ 4B
2
v
2
_1
2
(15)
I =
_
1 + 4A
2
u
2
4AuBv
4AuBv 1 + 4B
2
v
2
_
(16)
det I = 1 + 4A
2
u
2
+ 4B
2
v
2
+ 16A
2
u
2
B
2
v
2
16A
2
u
2
B
2
v
2
= 1 + 4A
2
u
2
+ 4B
2
v
2
= S
2
(17)
I
1
= S
2
_
1 + 4B
2
v
2
4AuBv
4AuBv 1 + 4A
2
u
2
_
(18)
X
uu
=
_
_
0
0
2A
_
_
(19)
X
vv
=
_
_
0
0
2B
_
_
(20)
X
uv
=
_
_
0
0
0
_
_
(21)
II = S
1
_
2A 0
0 2B
_
(22)
= II(I
1
) = S
3
_
2A + 8AB
2
v
2
8AuB
2
v
8A
2
uBv 2B + 8A
2
u
2
Bv
_
(23)
8
The eigenvectors of this matrix are not easy to compute (for me perhaps one of you all
can see the answer). However, we can compute the important invariants.
H =
1
2
Tr = S
3
_
A + B + 4AB(Au
2
+ Bv
2
)
_
(24)
K = det = S
3
_
4AB + 16A
3
u
2
B + 16A
3
u
2
B
_
(25)
Questions:
At the origin u = v = 0, the analysis is quite simple. What are the principle directions
and curvatures? How are they consistent with our understanding that shape matrix
gives a quadratic approximation to the local surface structure?
Describe how the special cases AB > 0, AB = 0, and AB < 0, give the expected
results for H and K everywhere on the surface. Describe the shape of the surface
under each of these circumstances.
What happens to the overall curvature of the surface as u and v become very large?
How is this consistent with our understanding of the curvature of a parabola (draw
picture to explain).
3 Graph Surface curvature from Derivatives
A height surface or range map is dened as
z = f(x, y)
When descretley sampled, this can be thought of as an image that contains the depth of
a scene/object/shape at every point.
This is also called a 2.5D representation.
Why is it not a truly 3D representation.
The parameterization for this surface is therefore:
x(u, v) =
_
_
u
v
f(u, v)
_
_
The derivatives are as follows:
x
u
=
_
_
1
0
f
u
_
_
(26)
x
v
=
_
_
0
1
f
v
_
_
(27)
9
x
uu
=
_
_
0
0
f
uu
_
_
(28)
x
uv
= x
vu
=
_
_
0
0
f
uv
_
_
(29)
x
vv
=
_
_
0
0
f
vv
_
_
(30)
n =
1
_
1 + f
2
u
+ f
2
v
_
_
f
u
f
v
1
_
_
(31)
(32)
Now we can get the frist fundamental form:
E = g
11
= 1 + f
2
u
and F = g
21
= f
u
f
v
and E = g
22
= 1 + f
2
v
and the SFF is
L = b
11
=
f
uu
_
1 + f
2
u
+ f
2
v
M = b
12
=
f
uv
_
1 + f
2
u
+ f
2
v
N = b
22
=
f
vv
_
1 + f
2
u
+ f
2
v
10