Fall 2019: Differential Geometry

Practice Midterm Name:

• Answer the questions in the spaces provided on the question sheets.

If you run out of room for an answer, continue on the back of the page.

• NO calculators or other electronic devices, books or notes

are allowed in this exam.

• Please make sure the solutions you hand in are legible and lucid.
You may only use techniques we have developed in class.

• You will have 75 minutes to complete this exam.

Question Points Score

1 20
2 20
3 25
4 25
Total: 90

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Fall 2019: Differential Geometry
Practice Midterm Name:

1. 20 points Let c(t) : [0, L] → R2 be a regular curve with |ċ(t)| = 1. Assume that its
curvature satisfies κ(t) > 0. Let ` > 0 and define

c̃(t) = c(t) + (` − t)ċ(t),

for 0 < t < `. Show that c̃ is a regular curve, and compute its curvature.
Solution: Compute
d
c̃ = ċ − ċ + (` − t)κe2 = (` − t)κe2 .
dt
It follows that
d
c̃ = (` − t)κ 6= 0,
dt
hence c̃ is a regular curve. Therefore

ẽ1 = e2 .

Rotating, we obtain the normal

ẽ2 = −e1 .
The Frenet frame of c̃ is {ẽ1 , ẽ2 }. It follows that

d dt d 1
ẽ1 = e2 = − κe1 .
ds ds dt (` − t)κ

Here we used the Frenet equations for the Frenet frame {e1 , e2 } of c(t). Therefore

d 1
ẽ1 = ẽ2 ,
ds `−t
and we have κ̃(t) = 1/(` − t).

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Fall 2019: Differential Geometry
Practice Midterm Name:

2. Let 0 < b < a, and define the torus of revolution by the parametrization f : [−π, π] ×
[−π, π] → R3 given by

f (u, v) = ((a + b cos u) cos v, (a + b cos u) sin v, b sin u).

Let T 2 denote the image of f . Consider the map

σ(x, y, z) = (x, −y, −z).

(a) 10 points Show that σ : T 2 → T 2 . How many points on T 2 are fixed by σ?

(b) 10 points Is σ an isometry?
Solution: (a) Let (x, y, z) = f (u, v). We must show that σ(x, y, z) ∈ T 2 . We have

σ(x, y, z) = ((a + b cos u) cos v, −(a + b cos u) sin v, −b sin u).

We notice

σ(x, y, z) = ((a + b cos(−u)) cos(−v), (a + b cos(−u)) sin(−v), b sin(−u)).

Therefore σ(x, y, z) = f (−u, −v). It follows that σ : T 2 → T 2 . The fixed point equation
f (u, v) = f (−u, −v) implies
b sin u = −b sin u,
and
(a + b cos u) sin v = −(a + b cos u) sin v.
Therefore there are 4 fixed points on T 2 : (0, 0), (0, π), (π, 0), (π, π).
(b) Yes, σ is an isometry. We first compute the metric gij on T 2 . Taking derivatives of
f gives
fu = (−b sin u cos v, −b sin u sin v, b cos u),
fv = (−(a + b cos u) sin v, (a + b cos u) cos v, 0).
The metric is thus  
b2 0
gij = .
0 (a + b cos u)2
To show σ is an isometry, we must compute the metric of f˜ = σ ◦ f and show that it is
the same as gij . Derivatives of f˜ are

f˜u = (−b sin u cos v, b sin u sin v, −b cos u),

f˜v = (−(a + b cos u) sin v, −(a + b cos u) cos v, 0).

The metric is thus  
b2 0
g̃ij = .
0 (a + b cos u)2
Since gij = g̃ij , we see that σ is an isometry.

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Fall 2019: Differential Geometry
Practice Midterm Name:

3. Let b > 0. The helicoid is defined by the surface element f : R2 → R3 with

f (u, v) = (u cos v, u sin v, bv).
(a) 5 points Compute the metric gij .
(b) 10 points Compute the second fundamental form hij .
(c) 10 points Compute the Gauss curvature K and the mean curvature H.
Solution: (a) Taking derivatives of f gives
∂f
= (cos v, sin v, 0),
∂u
∂f
= (−u sin v, u cos v, b).
∂v
The metric is then  
1 0
gij = .
0 u 2 + b2
(b) Taking the cross product
 
i j k
fu × fv = det  cos v sin v 0  = (b sin v, −b cos v, u).
−u sin v u cos v b
The normal is thus
1
ν=√ (b sin v, −b cos v, u).
b2 + u2
Taking two derivatives of f
∂ 2f ∂ 2f ∂ 2f
= (0, 0, 0), = (− sin v, cos v, 0), = (−u cos v, −u sin v, 0).
∂u2 ∂u∂v ∂v 2
Then second fundamental form is thus
 
1 0 −b
hij = √
b2 + u2 −b 0
(c) The inverse metric is  
ij1 0
g = .
0 (u2 + b2 )−1
The Weingarten endomorphism hi j = g ik hkj is
−b(b2 + u2 )−1/2
 
i 0
hj= .
−b(b2 + u2 )−3/2 0
The Gauss curvature is the determinant
b2
K=− 2 ,
(b + u2 )2
and the mean curvature is the trace
H = 0.

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Fall 2019: Differential Geometry
Practice Midterm Name:

4. Consider spherical coordinates, given by the parametrization f : (0, 2π) × (0, π) → S2

with
f (θ, φ) = (cos θ sin φ, sin θ sin φ, cos φ).
(a) 15 points Compute the Christoffel symbols Γkij .
(b) 5 points Write down the geodesic equation in this parametrization.
(c) 5 points Let (θ0 , φ0 ) ∈ (0, 2π) × (0, π). Compute the geodesic (θ(t), φ(t)) with
initial condition (θ(0), φ(0)) = (θ0 , φ0 ) and (θ̇(0), φ̇(0)) = (0, 1).
Solution: (a) Taking partial derivatives

fθ = (− sin θ sin φ, cos θ sin φ, 0),

fφ = (cos θ cos φ, sin θ cos φ, − sin φ).

The metric is gθθ = (sin φ)2 , gθφ = 0 and gφφ = 1, which can be expressed as
 
(sin φ)2 0
gij =
0 1

with inverse
(sin φ)−2 0
 
ij
g = .
0 1
The Christoffel symbols are given by

g k`
Γkij = (−∂` gij + ∂i g`j + ∂j g`i ).
2
We start by computing

g θ`
Γθθθ = (−∂` gθθ + ∂θ g`θ + ∂θ g`θ ) = 0,
2
g θ` g θθ
Γθθφ = (−∂` gθφ + ∂θ g`φ + ∂φ g`θ ) = (−0 + 0 + ∂θ gθθ ) = (sin φ)−1 cos φ,
2 2
θ`
g
Γθφφ = (−∂` gφφ + ∂φ g`φ + ∂φ g`φ ) = 0.
2
We may write this as

(sin φ)−1 cos φ

 
θ 0
Γij = .
(sin φ)−1 cos φ 0

Next,
g φ` g φφ
Γφθθ = (−∂` gθθ + ∂θ g`θ + ∂θ g`θ ) = − ∂φ gθθ = − sin φ cos φ,
2 2
g φ`
Γφθφ = (−∂` gθφ + ∂θ g`φ + ∂φ g`θ ) = 0,
2

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Fall 2019: Differential Geometry
Practice Midterm Name:

g φ`
Γφφφ = (−∂` gφφ + ∂φ g`φ + ∂φ g`φ ) = 0.
2
We may write this as  
− sin φ cos φ 0
Γφij = .
0 0
(b) The geodesic equation for a curve γ(t) = (θ(t), φ(t)) is

γ̈ k + Γkij γ̇ i γ̇ j = 0.

In this parametrization of the sphere, this becomes

θ̈ + 2(sin φ)−1 (cos φ)φ̇ θ̇ = 0,

φ̈ − (sin φ cos φ)(θ̇)2 = 0.

(c) If we impose the initial condition θ(0) = θ0 , φ(0) = φ0 and θ̇(0) = 0, φ̇(0) = 1, we
find a solution
θ(t) = θ0 , φ(t) = φ0 + t.

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