§ Theorem Egregium / Gauss's theorem (Integrating curvature in 2D) [TODO ]
- Let S be a 2 dimensional surface.
- Gauss Rodriguez map map: N:S→S2. The derivative of this map goes from dN:TpS→TpS2.
- Since surfaces are parametric, we can think of it as a map from U⊂Rn→S→S2.
- For gauss, the curvature of the surface at p is det(dN∣p). This tells us how small areas (on the tangent plane of S) is distorted (on the tangent plane of S2, because it's the determinant / jacobian of the map. Thus, heuristically, it is the ratio of the area around N(p) at S2 to the area around p at S
- To show that this normal curvature view really is curvature, let's compute dNp for a normal paraboloid. Wildberger says that all surfaces are like normal paraboloids upto second order.
- This fits with one of our views of curvature of a curve: one way was one over the osculating circle, the other was k⋅ds=dθ
- We had a formula like ∫kds was a change in angle. Similarly, in our case, we see that if we consider ∫∫k(s)darea(s), we get the area of the image of N, because infinitesimally is the ratio of areas.
- In particular if the surface is homeomorphic to a sphere, then we get the total area of the sphere, 4π.. This is the 2D analogue of the fact that if we integrate the curvature of a closed curve, we get 2π. [area of a circle ]. This is by green's theorem.