Syllabus for Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces (Math 439),
Fall 12

Instructor: Igor Zelenko
Office: Milner 324
e-mail: zelenko"at"math.tamu.edu
Home-page: /~zelenko

Class hours: Math439 MWF 9:10- 10:00 C E 222

Office hours: M 2:00pm-3:00pm, WF 11:00am-noon and by appointment (in Milner  324).

Text:. Manfredo P. Do Carmo, Differential geometry of curves and sufaces, Prentice Hall, 1976

Additional recommended text: Lectures on Differential Geometry by Iskander A. Taimanov, EMS Series of Lectures in Mathematics, 2008.

Course Description. We will closely follow Chapters 1-4 of Do Carmo's book (especially for examples and exercises) and Part 1 of Taimanov's book (especially for theoretical material): Local and global theory of parameterized curves; regular surfaces, local coordinates, first fundamental form, orientation, area; Gauss map, second fundamental form; Gauss Bonnet theorem. If the time will permit elements of Riemannian Geometry will be discussed (following part 2 of Taimanov's book)

Prerequisite: MATH 308 and 323 (or equivalent) or approval of instructor

Necessary mathematical background: Good knowledge of vector calculus (MATH221/251/253) and basic knowledge of matrices (within what is taught in Differential Equations course MATH308)

Grading. Your grade will be determined by weekly home assignments (30%) due on Mondays of each week, by two mid-term exams (20% each) and cumulative final exam (30%). ALL EXAMS WILL BE TAKE-HOME EXAMS.

The grade will be given according to the following percentage:

85%-100%=A, 75%-84%=B , 65%-74%=C, 55%-64%=D, less than 55%=F


Dates of exams will be specified later The sections covered on a test will be announced well before the test. Complaints about test grades must be made within two weeks of when the test is returned to the class. Beyond that time, the grade will not be changed.

Tentative weekly schedule (below by DC x.x  we denote the corresponding section x.x in  DoCarmo book and by T x.x the corresponding section x.x from Taimanov book)

Week 1 (Aug 27 , 29, 31): Basic notions of theory of curves: regular curves, tangent lines, arc length, parametriztion by arc length (DC 1.2-1,3, T 1.1) .Curvature of the curve, Frenet frame in R^2 (T 1.2);

Week 2 (Sep  3, 5, 7):  Frenet frame in  R^3, torsion (DC 1.5, T 1.3); The local canonical from of a curve up to a rigid motion (DC 1.6); Frenet Frame in R^n  (sketch of the construction);

Week 3 (Sep 10,  12, 14)): Regular surfaces: implicit function theorem, inverse function theorem , regular and critical values, definiton of regular surface (DC 2.2,; T 1.4,  T 2.1);

Week 4 (Sep 17, 19, 21): Differntial functions on surfaces (DC 2.3); The tangent plane; the differential of the map (DC 2.4);

Week 5 (Sep 24, 26, 28):  The first fundamental form ; Area (DC 2.5, nd of T 2.1), Orientation of urvaces (DC 2.6). Gauss map (DC 3.2);

Week 6 (Oct  1,3,5):  Second fundamental form, principal curvature, Gaussian and mean curvatures (DC 3.2 continued, T 2.2-2.3);

Week 7 (Oct 8, 10, 12):  The Gauss map in local coordinates (DC 3.3);

Week 8 (Oct 15, 17,  19): Isometries (DC 4.2); Gauss Egregium theorem, equations of compatibility (Gaus, Peterson-Mainardi-Codazzi), fundamental theorem of theory of sufraces (Bonnet theorem) (DC 4.3, T 2.1-2.5);

Week 9 (Oct 22, 24, 26) Covariant derivative,  patallel transport;  geodesics (DC 4.4, T 2.6). The Euler-Lagrange equation (T 2.7);

Week 10 (Oct 29, 31, Nov 2) Gauss-Bonet theorem  (DC 4.6, T 2.8) and its application such as Poincare index theorem (DC 4.6);

Week 11 (Nov 5, 7, 9) Minimal surfaces (T 2.9, DC 3.5), Introduction to smooth manifolds (T 3.1-3.2);

Week 12 (Nov 12, 14, 16): Tensors (T 3.3-3.4), Metric tensor (T 4.1);

Week 13 (Nov 19):  Affine connection and covariant derivative, Chtistoffel symbols, torsion tensor (T 4.2) , Nov 21 class is before the Thanksgiving and it will be devoted to review of the previous material;

Week 14 (Nov 26, 28, 30): Levi-Civita Connection (T 4.3), Riemann curvature tensor (T 4.4), Geodesics (T 4.5);

Week 15 (Dec 3) The Lobachevski plane (T 5.1).


Home assignments: Will be posted Mondays and is due next Monday. The homework that is not submitted by the end of lecture on Monday is "late" and will suffer a 20% penalty if graded. You have until end of the lecture on next Monday to deliver the late homework. The homework that is not submitted by the end of lecture on next Monday will not be graded (you will get 0 points for it).

Scholastic dishonesty: Copying work done by others, either in-class or out of class, is an act of scholastic dishonesty and will be prosecuted to the full extent allowed by University policy. Collaboration on assignments, either in-class or out-of-class, is forbidden unless permission to do so is granted by your instructor. For more information on university policies regarding scholastic dishonesty, see University Student Rules .

Copyright policy: All printed materials disseminated in class or on the web are protected by Copyright laws. One xerox copy (or download from the web) is allowed for personal use. Multiple copies or sale of any of these materials is strictly prohibited.


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