Final Differential Geometry and Tensor Calculus 21 May 2024

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1 Find the curvature κ(s) and the torsion τ (s) of the curve x(t) = (cosh t, sinh t, t) as functions of its arc length s measured
from (1, 0, 0).

x0 (t) = (sinh t, cosh t, 1), x00 (t) = (cosh t, sinh t, 0), x000 (t) = (sinh t, cosh t, 0)

x0 (t) × x00 (t) = (− sinh t, cosh t, −1)

det(x0 , x00 , x000 ) = x000 (t) · x0 (t) × x00 (t) = 1

p p √
kx0 (t)k = kx0 (t) × x00 (t)k = sinh2 t + cosh2 t + 1 = 2 cosh2 t = 2 cosh t

kx0 × x00 k 1
κ(t) = =
kx0 k3 2 cosh2 t

det(x0 , x00 , x000 ) 1

τ (t) = =
0
kx × x k 00 2
2 cosh2 t

t Z t√ √ s2
Z
0
s= kx (t)k dt = 2 cosh t dt = 2 sinh t ⇒ cosh2 t = 1 + sinh2 t = 1 +
0 0 2

1 1
κ(s) = τ (s) = =
s2 2 + s2

2 1+
2
2 Let x(s) be a curve in R3 with natural parameter s and Frenet trihedron (t(s), p(s), b(s)). Assume that for sufficiently
small values of r > 0 the surface defined by

x
b(s, v) = x(s) + r cos v p(s) + r sin v b(s)

is a regular surface, and that κr < 1, where κ is the curvature of x. (a) Find the Gaussian curvature of x
b as a function of
the curvature κ and torsion τ of x. (b) Describe the shape of the surface x
b.

(a) First we use the Frenet equations for x(s) to compute the coordinate basis for x
b(s, v),

bs = t + r(cos v (−κt + τ b) + sin v (−τ p)) = (1 − κr cos v)t − rτ sin v p + rτ cos v b,

x

x
bv = r(− sin v p + cos v b).
b(s, v) we do not need the first fundamental form, only its determinant g = kb
To compute the Gaussian curvature of x bv k2 .
xs × x
Thus, we find,
bs × x
x bv = r(1 − rκ cos v)(− cos v p − sin v b),
bs × x
x bv
n= = − cos v p − sin v b,
kb
xs × x
bv k
g = kb bv k2 = r2 (1 − rκ cos v)2 .
xs × x
We use again the Frenet equations to compute the second fundamental form bαβ = −xα · nβ ,

ns = − cos v(−κt + τ b) − sin v(−τ p) = κ cos v t + τ sin v p − τ cos v b,

nv = sin v p − cos v b,
bs = rτ 2 − κ cos v + rκ2 cos2 v,
bss = −ns · x bsv = bvs = −ns · x
bv = rτ, bvv = −nv · x
bv = r.
Therefore,
b = −rκ cos v(1 − rκ cos v),
and
b κ cos v
K= =− .
g r(1 − rκ cos v)

(b) For each fixed value of s, xb(s, v) is a circle of center x(s) and radius r in the normal plane to the curve. Therefore the
surface is a tube of radius r around the curve. The following figure illustrates this idea for a helix with a = b = 1 and r = 1/4
viewed from above.
3
Z
(a) Find the total geodesic curvature κg ds of a circle γ of radius r > 0 on a sphere of radius R > r.
γ

(b) Let uα (s) be a unit-speed curve which is not a geodesic on a surface x(u1 , u2 ), and let
d2 uα µ
α du du
ν
wα = + Γ µν .
ds2 ds ds
duβ
Find gαβ wα and explain the geometrical meaning of gαβ wα wβ .
ds

(a) The curvature of γ is κ = 1/r, and the magnitude of the projection of the curvature vector k onto the tangent plane is
constant along the curve and equal to r
1 1 r2
κg = cos Θ = 1 − 2.
r r R
Therefore, r r r
r2 r2 r2
Z
1 1
κg ds = 1 − 2 `(γ) = 1 − 2 2πr = 2π 1 − 2 .
γ r R r R R

r Θ
k

R
Θ

(An overall sign depends on the orientation of the sphere.)

The same result can be derived using the Gauss-Bonnet theorem. Let Sγ be the smallest of the two spherical caps in which
γ divides the sphere, and assume that γ is traversed in the positive sense with respect to the orientation determined by n.
Using the Gauss-Bonnet theorem:
Z ZZ
1
κg ds = − K dA + 2π = − 2 A(Sγ ) + 2π,
γ Sγ R
Z 2π Z Θ r !
2 2 2 r2
A(Sγ ) = dφ R sin θ dθ = 2πR (cos 0 − cos Θ) = 2πR 1 − 1 − 2 ,
0 0 R
r ! r
r2 r2
Z
1
κg ds = − 2 2πR2 1 − 1 − 2 + 2π = 2π 1 − 2 .
γ R R R
(Again, if γ is traversed in the opposite sense, the sign is reversed.)

(b)
ẋ = u̇α xα
ẍ = (üα + Γµν α u̇µ u̇ν ) xα + bµν u̇µ u̇ν n
kg = (üα + Γµν α u̇µ u̇ν ) xα = wα xα
duβ
kẋk = 1, ẋ · n = 0 ⇒ 0 = ẋ · ẍ = ẋ · kg = gαβ wα .
ds
gαβ wα wβ = kg · kg = κ2g
4 A covariant vector wα is called a Killing vector for a metric gαβ if wα satisfies the system of partial differential equations
wα;β + wβ;α = 0. (a) Write this system for the metric

1/v 2
 
0
(gαβ ) = , v > 0.
0 1/v 2

(b) Find all the Killing vectors for gαβ . (Notation: u1 = u, u2 = v.)

1 ∂g11
Γ11 1 = =0
2g11 ∂u1

1 ∂g22 1
Γ22 2 = =−
2g22 ∂u2 v

1 ∂g11 1
Γ11 2 = − =
2g22 ∂u2 v

1 ∂g22
Γ22 1 = − =0
2g11 ∂u1

1 ∂g22
Γ12 2 = Γ21 2 = =0
2g22 ∂u1

1 ∂g11 1
Γ12 1 = Γ21 1 = =−
2g11 ∂u2 v

∂w1 ∂w1 w2
(α, β) = (1, 1) ⇒ w1;1 = 0 ⇔ − Γ11 1 w1 − Γ11 2 w2 = 0 ⇔ − =0
∂u ∂u v

∂w2 ∂w2 w2
(α, β) = (2, 2) ⇒ w2;2 = 0 ⇔ − Γ22 1 w1 − Γ22 2 w2 = 0 ⇔ + =0
∂v ∂v v

∂w1 ∂w2 ∂w1 ∂w2 2w1

(α, β) = (1, 2) ⇒ w1;2 + w2;1 = 0 ⇔ − Γ12 1 w1 − Γ12 2 w2 + − Γ21 1 w1 − Γ21 2 w2 = 0 ⇔ + + =0
∂v ∂u ∂v ∂u v

∂w2 w2 F (u)
+ = 0 ⇒ w2 (u, v) =
∂v v v

∂w1 ∂w2 2w1 ∂w1 2w1 F 0 (u) G(u) F 0 (u)

+ + =0⇔ + + = 0 ⇒ w1 (u, v) = −
∂v ∂u v ∂v v v v2 2

∂w1 w2 G0 (u) F 00 (u) F (u) c1 2

− =0⇔ − − 2 = 0 ⇒ F (u) = c1 u + c2 , G(u) = u + c2 u + c3
∂u v v2 2 v 2

u2
 
c1 u 1
w1 (u, v) = − 1 + c2 2 + c3 2
2 v2 v v

u 1
w2 (u, v) = c1 + c2
v v