HOMEWORK 2 - SOLUTIONS - 2012

ANDRÉ NEVES

Exercise 15 of Chapter 2.3 of Do Carmo’s book: Okay, I have no

idea why I set this one because it is similar to another one from the previous
homework. I might have meant something else but has been to long to know
what it was... Anyho, assuming that h is indeed a diffeomorphism then β
is just a reparametrization of α and so the length of the curves must be the
same, as we saw in the other homework sheet.
The fact that h is indeed a diffeo could require some details if we are
into ... details. The map h is one to one because when Do Carmo says the
curve is regular he is assuming the parametrizations α and β are already
one to one onto its image and thus h is bijective. The issue is to show that
h is differentiable and its derivative never zero. This is not totally formal
because β −1 is not defined on an open set of R3 but only in β(J).
The trick is to pick p = β(t0 ) and choose two vectors e1 , e2 so that
{β 0 (t0 ), e1 , e2 } is a basis of R3 . We then set F (t, u, v) = β(t) + ue1 + ve2 .
The important property is that DF| (t0 , 0, 0) is a 3 × 3 matrix where the
columns (or the rows, I always get confused) are β 0 (t0 ), e1 and e2 . But
these vectors are linearly independent, which means DF| (t0 , 0, 0) is bijec-
tive. By the inverse function theorem it must have an inverse F −1 defined
in a neighbourhood of V of p = F (t0 , 0, 0). Finally, consider the projection
π(t, u, v) = t. Then
π ◦ F −1 (β(t)) = π ◦ F −1 (F (t, 0, 0)) = π(t, 0, 0) = t
and so, near p, β −1 = π ◦ F −1 which means h = π ◦ F −1 ◦ α. Thus h
is a composition of three differentiable maps which means it must also be
differentiable. I leave you to check that h0 (s) 6= 0 for all s.
Exercise: Let φ : U ⊂ R2 −→ R3 be a chart, h : W ⊂ R2 −→ U ⊂ R2 a
diffeomorphishm, and set ψ = φ ◦ h. Show that
   
 ∂ψ ∂ψ   ∂φ ∂φ 
 ∂u × ∂v  (u, v) =  ∂u0 × ∂v 0  (h(u, v))|det Dh|(u, v)
  

From the cain rule, and using the notation (u0 , v 0 ) = h(u, v) we have
∂ψ ∂φ ∂u0 ∂φ ∂v 0 ∂ψ ∂φ ∂u0 ∂φ ∂v 0
= + and = + .
∂u ∂u0 ∂u ∂v 0 ∂u ∂v ∂u0 ∂v ∂v 0 ∂v
∂φ
I am keeping the notation simple but where is ∂u 0 you should really see
∂φ ∂u0 ∂u0
∂u0 (h(u, v)), where is ∂u you should really see ∂u (u, v), and so on.
1
2 ANDRÉ NEVES

Hence
∂u0 ∂v 0 ∂v 0 ∂u0
 
∂ψ ∂ψ ∂φ ∂φ ∂φ ∂φ
× = − 0
× 0 = (detDh) 0 × 0 .
∂u ∂v ∂u ∂v ∂u ∂v ∂u ∂v ∂u ∂v
Therefore, taking the norm on both sides, we obtain
   
 ∂ψ ∂ψ   ∂φ ∂φ 
 ∂u × ∂v  (u, v) =  ∂u0 × ∂v 0  (h(u, v))|det Dh|(u, v).
   

Exercise: Let S, M be two surfaces in R3 , F : S −→ M a smooth map,

and φ : U ⊂ R2 −→ R3 a chart with φ(0) = p. Recall that the definition of
DFp : Tp S −→ TF (p) M
was
d(F ◦ α)
DFp (α0 (0)) = (0) where α : (−ε, ε) −→ S is such that α(0) = p.
dt
a) Using this definition argue that
 
∂φ ∂(F ◦ φ)
DFp (0) = (0).
∂xi ∂xi
b) Use the previous exercise to compute DF0 when S = {(x, y, z) | z =
2x − y 3 } and F (x, y, z) = (z, y, 0).

a) Set e1 = (1, 0), e2 = (0, 1). Consider the path αi (t) = tei in U and the
path γi (t) = φ ◦ αi (t) in S. From the chain rule we have
dγi ∂φ
(0) = (0).
dt ∂xi
Thus
   
∂φ dγi d(F ◦ γi )
DFp (0) = DFp (0) = (0)
∂xi dt dt
d((F ◦ φ) ◦ αi ) ∂(F ◦ φ)
= (0) = (0),
dt ∂xi
where the last identity follows from the chain rule.

b) Use the previous exercise to compute DF0 when S = {(x, y, z) | z =

2x − y 3 } and F (x, y, z) = (z, y, 0).

In this case M = {z = 0} and F : S −→ M ⊂ R3 . Because F (0) = 0 we

need to compute T0 S and T0 M . The latter one is easy because M is a vector
space and so T0 M = {z = 0}. The first one is not hard as well because we
have the chart
φ : R2 −→ S, φ(x, y) = (x, y, 2x − y 3 )
 HOMEWORK 2 - SOLUTIONS - 2012 3

and so
 
∂φ ∂φ
T0 S = span (0), (0) = span{(1, 0, 2), (0, 1, 0)} = {z = 2x}.
∂x ∂y
To determine DF0 it suffices to determine DF0 (1, 0, 2) and DF0 (0, 1, 0).
Note that F ◦ φ = (2x − y 3 , y, 0) and so, using the previous exercise, we have
 
∂φ ∂(F ◦ φ)
DF0 (1, 0, 2) = DF0 (0) = (0) = (2, 0, 0)
∂x ∂x
and  
∂φ ∂(F ◦ φ)
DF0 (0, 1, 0) = DF0 (0) = (0) = (0, 1, 0).
∂y ∂y
Exercise: Let α : I −→ S be a curve in S parametrized by arc length so
that λ1 λ2 > 0 at the point α(0). Show that
|α00 (0)| ≥ min{|λ1 |, |λ2 |},
where λ1 , λ2 are the principal curvatures of the second fundamental form.
Let p = α(0) and denote by e1 , e2 in Tp S the principal directions of A,
the second fundamental form, meaning that A(e1 ) = λ1 e1 and A(e2 ) = λ1 e2
and e1 , e2 form an orthonormal basis for Tp S. Because α0 (0) ∈ Tp S and
α0 (0).α0 (0) = 1, one has the existence of some θ for which
α0 (0) = cos θe1 + sin θe2 .
Therefore
A(α0 (0)).α0 (0) = cos θA(e1 ).α0 (0) + sin θA(e2 ).α0 (0)
= λ1 cos θe1 .α0 (0) + λ2 sin θe2 .α0 (0)
= λ1 cos2 θ + λ2 sin2 θ + (λ1 + λ2 )e1 .e2 cos θ sin θ
= λ1 cos2 θ + λ2 sin2 θ.
Either λ1 , λ2 are both positive or both negative and so in either case we
have
|A(α0 (0)).α0 (0)| = |λ1 | cos2 θ + |λ2 | sin2 θ.
If N denotes the unit normal to S we saw in class that α00 (0).N = A(α0 (0)).α0 (0)
and thus, denoting by σ = min{|λ1 |, |λ2 |}, we have
|α00 (0)| ≥ |α00 (0).N | = |A(α0 (0)).α0 (0)| = |λ1 | cos2 θ + |λ2 | sin2 θ
≥ σ cos2 θ + σ sin2 θ = σ = min{|λ1 |, |λ2 |}.

Exercise 4 of Chapter 3.2 of Do Carmo’s book:

No. The plane P = {z = 0} has principal curvatures zero but the curve
α(t) = (cos t, sin t, 0) doe not have curvature zero.

Exercise 8 of Chapter 3.2 of Do Carmo’s book:

4 ANDRÉ NEVES

Before I solve it let me make some remarks. If Rθ : R3 −→ R3 denotes

a rotation by angle θ which fixes the z-axis, then all surfaces we consider
have that Rθ (S) = S, i.e., the surfaces are invariant under rotations which
fix the z-axis. The consequence of this remark is that if N (p) denotes the
unit normal vector at the point p ∈ S, then N (Rθ (p)) = Rθ (N (p)). In other
words, the image of the Gauss map is invariant under rotations which fix
the z-axis.
Each of the surfaces is of the form S = {f (x, y, z) = 0} and thus N =
∇f |∇f |−1 . Our previous remark means it suffices to look at N (x, 0, z).
a) f (x, y, z) = z − x2 − y 2 and thus
N (x, 0, z) = (−2x, 0, 1)(4x2 + 1)−1/2 ,
where z = x2 and x ∈ R. It is simple to see that
x −→ (−2x, 0, 1)(4x2 + 1)−1/2
maps the real line into S 2 ∩ {y = 0, z > 0}, where S 2 denotes the
unit sphere. Because the image of the Gauss map must be invariant
under rotations which fix the z-axis we obtain that the image must
be S 2 ∩ {z > 0}, i..e, the northern hemisphere.

b) f (x, y, z) = z 2 + 1 − x2 − y 2 and thus

N (x, 0, z) = (−x, 0, z)(x2 + z 2 )−1/2 ,
where 1 + z 2 = x2 . The curve 1 + z 2 = x2 , y = 0 has two connected
components and, without
√ loss of generality, we can consider just the
2
one given by x = 1 + z , y = 0. Why is that? Well, if C1 , C2 are
the two connected components then C2 = Rπ (C1 ), i.e, one connected
component can be obtained by the other if we rotate it 180 degrees
around the z-axis and so, for the purpose of computing the image of
the Gauss map, it is enough to just consider C1 because we already
know that the image will be invariant by rotations which keep the
z-axis fixed. √
In sum, it suffices to see what is the image of (recall x = 1 + z 2 )
p
N (x, 0, z) = (− 1 + z 2 , 0, z)(1 + 2z 2 )−1/2 , z ∈ R.
We have
lim N (x, 0, z) = (−1, 0, 1)2−1/2 , lim N (x, 0, z) = (−1, 0, −1)2−1/2
z→+∞ z→−∞

and
1 z 1
−√ < √ < √ for all z ∈ R.
2 1 + 2z 2 2
Therefore the image of N (x, 0, z) is the part of the great circle S 2 ∩
{y = 0} which lies in the sector
{(cos θ, 0, sin θ) | 3π/4 < θ < 5π/4}.
 HOMEWORK 2 - SOLUTIONS - 2012 5

The image of the Gauss map is then

{x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1} ∩ {|z| < 2−1/2 }.

c) f (x, y, z) = cosh2 z − x2 − y 2 and thus

N (x, 0, z) = (−x, 0, sinh z cosh z)(x2 + sinh2 z cosh2 z)−1/2 ,
where cosh2 z = x2 . The curve cosh2 z = x2 , y = 0 has two connected
components and so it is enough to consider the one given by x =
cosh z, y = 0. In this case the expression simplifies to
N (x, 0, z) = (−1, 0, sinh z)(1 + sinh2 z)−1/2 = (−1, 0, sinh z) cosh−1 z.
We have
lim N (x, 0, z) = (0, 0, 1), lim N (x, 0, z) = (0, 0, −1)
z→+∞ z→−∞
and
sinh z
−1 < < 1 for all z ∈ R.
cosh z
Thus the image of N (x, 0, z) is S 2 ∩ {y = 0} ∩ x < 0 and the image
of the Gauss map is the sphere minus the north pole and minus the
south pole.