Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces (Math 439),
Fall 18

Instructor: Igor Zelenko
Office: Blocker 601J
e-mail: zelenko"at"math.tamu.edu
Home-page: /~zelenko

Class hours: MATH439 T 2:20- 3:35  Blocker 624

Office hours: TR 12:45pm-2:00pm or by appointment (in Blocker 601J).

Text:. Manfredo P. Do Carmo, Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces: Revised and updated Second Edition (Dover Books on Mathematics (the furst edition of this book can be used as well);

Additional recommended text:

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

Elementary Differential Geometry by Barret O'Neil, revised second
edition,  ISBN-13: 978-0120887354, ISBN-10: 0120887355 (it will be used in class if we will arrive to Cartan's approach via differential forms)


Other useful texts in Differnetial geometry of undegraduate level:
Elementary Differential Geometry (Springer Undergraduate Mathematics
Series, by A.N. Pressley,  ISBN-13: 978-1848828902
ISBN-10: 184882890X


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 (following part 2 of Taimanov's book)  and introduction to the Cartan method of equivalence (following  O'Neil book) will be discussed.

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 (40%) due on Tuesdays of each week, by one mid-term exams (30%) 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's book , by T x.x the corresponding section x.x from Taimanov's book, and by ON x.x the corresponding section of O'Neil's book).

Week 1: 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:  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 : 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: Differntial functions on surfaces (DC 2.3); The tangent plane; the differential of the map (DC 2.4);

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

Week 7:  The Gauss map in local coordinates (DC 3.3);

Week 8: 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:Covariant derivative,  patallel transport;  geodesics (DC 4.4, T 2.6). The Euler-Lagrange equation (T 2.7);

Week 10: Gauss-Bonet theorem  (DC 4.6, T 2.8) and its application such as Poincare index theorem (DC 4.6);

Week 11:  Minimal surfaces (T 2.9, DC 3.5), Introduction to smooth manifolds (T 3.1-3.2, ON 4.8);

Week 12 (Nov 12, 14, 16): Tensors (T 3.3-3.4), Metric tensor (T 4.1); Differential forms (ON 1.6)

Week 13 (Nov 19):  Affine connection and covariant derivative, Chtistoffel symbols, torsion tensor (T 4.2)

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

Week 15 Short discussion of the differential form approach to intrinsic geometry of surfaces (ON 7.1-7.3) .

Home assignments: Will be posted Tuesdays and is due next Tuesday. The homework that is not submitted by the end of lecture on Tuesday is "late" and will suffer a 20% penalty if graded. You have until end of the lecture on next Tuesday to deliver the late homework. The homework that is not submitted by the end of lecture on next Tuesday 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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