Writing this book, I had in my mind areader trying to get some knowledge of a part of the modern differential geometry. I concentrate myself on the study of sur faces in the Euclidean 3-space, this being the most natural object for investigation. The global differential geometry of surfaces in E3 is based on two classical results: (i) the ovaloids (i.e., closed surfaces with positive Gauss curvature) with constant Gauss or mean curvature are the spheres, (ü) two isometrie ovaloids are congruent. The results presented here show vast generalizations of these facts. Up to now, there is only one book covering this area of research: the Lecture Notes [3] written in the tensor slang. In my book, I am using the machinary of E. Cartan's calculus. It should be equivalent to the tensor calculus; nevertheless, using it I get better results (but, honestly, sometimes it is too complicated). It may be said that almost all results are new and belong to myself (the exceptions being the introductory three chapters, the few classical results and results of my post graduate student Mr. M. ÄFWAT who proved Theorems V.3.1, V.3.3 and VIII.2.1-6).

'In a class populated by students who already have some exposure to the concept of a manifold, the presence of chapter 3 in this text may make for an unusual and interesting course. The primary function of this book will be as a text for a more conventional course in the classical theory of curves and surfaces.'MAA ReviewsThis engrossing volume on curve and surface theories is the result of many years of experience the authors have had with teaching the most essential aspects of this subject. The first half of the text is suitable for a university-level course, without the need for referencing other texts, as it is completely self-contained. More advanced material in the second half of the book, including appendices, also serves more experienced students well.Furthermore, this text is also suitable for a seminar for graduate students, and for self-study. It is written in a robust style that gives the student the opportunity to continue his study at a higher level beyond what a course would usually offer. Further material is included, for example, closed curves, enveloping curves, curves of constant width, the fundamental theorem of surface theory, constant mean curvature surfaces, and existence of curvature line coordinates.Surface theory from the viewpoint of manifolds theory is explained, and encompasses higher level material that is useful for the more advanced student. This includes, but is not limited to, indices of umbilics, properties of cycloids, existence of conformal coordinates, and characterizing conditions for singularities.In summary, this textbook succeeds in elucidating detailed explanations of fundamental material, where the most essential basic notions stand out clearly, but does not shy away from the more advanced topics needed for research in this field. It provides a large collection of mathematically rich supporting topics. Thus, it is an ideal first textbook in this field.

Central topics covered include curves, surfaces, geodesics, intrinsic geometry, and the Alexandrov global angle comparision theorem Many nontrivial and original problems (some with hints and solutions) Standard theoretical material is combined with more difficult theorems and complex problems, while maintaining a clear distinction between the two levels

This is a textbook on differential geometry well-suited to a variety of courses on this topic. For readers seeking an elementary text, the prerequisites are minimal and include plenty of examples and intermediate steps within proofs, while providing an invitation to more excursive applications and advanced topics. For readers bound for graduate school in math or physics, this is a clear, concise, rigorous development of the topic including the deep global theorems. For the benefit of all readers, the author employs various techniques to render the difficult abstract ideas herein more understandable and engaging. Over 300 color illustrations bring the mathematics to life, instantly clarifying concepts in ways that grayscale could not. Green-boxed definitions and purple-boxed theorems help to visually organize the mathematical content. Color is even used within the text to highlight logical relationships. Applications abound! The study of conformal and equiareal functions is grounded in its application to cartography. Evolutes, involutes and cycloids are introduced through Christiaan Huygens' fascinating story: in attempting to solve the famous longitude problem with a mathematically-improved pendulum clock, he invented mathematics that would later be applied to optics and gears. Clairaut’s Theorem is presented as a conservation law for angular momentum. Green’s Theorem makes possible a drafting tool called a planimeter. Foucault’s Pendulum helps one visualize a parallel vector field along a latitude of the earth. Even better, a south-pointing chariot helps one visualize a parallel vector field along any curve in any surface. In truth, the most profound application of differential geometry is to modern physics, which is beyond the scope of this book. The GPS in any car wouldn’t work without general relativity, formalized through the language of differential geometry. Throughout this book, applications, metaphors and visualizations are tools that motivate and clarify the rigorous mathematical content, but never replace it.

Offers a focused point of view on the differential geometry of curves and surfaces. This monograph treats the Gauss - Bonnet theorem and discusses the Euler characteristic. It also covers Alexandrov's theorem on embedded compact surfaces in R3 with constant mean curvature.

This book is a posthumous publication of a classic by Prof. Shoshichi Kobayashi, who taught at U.C. Berkeley for 50 years, recently translated by Eriko Shinozaki Nagumo and Makiko Sumi Tanaka. There are five chapters: 1. Plane Curves and Space Curves; 2. Local Theory of Surfaces in Space; 3. Geometry of Surfaces; 4. Gauss–Bonnet Theorem; and 5. Minimal Surfaces. Chapter 1 discusses local and global properties of planar curves and curves in space. Chapter 2 deals with local properties of surfaces in 3-dimensional Euclidean space. Two types of curvatures — the Gaussian curvature K and the mean curvature H —are introduced. The method of the moving frames, a standard technique in differential geometry, is introduced in the context of a surface in 3-dimensional Euclidean space. In Chapter 3, the Riemannian metric on a surface is introduced and properties determined only by the first fundamental form are discussed. The concept of a geodesic introduced in Chapter 2 is extensively discussed, and several examples of geodesics are presented with illustrations. Chapter 4 starts with a simple and elegant proof of Stokes’ theorem for a domain. Then the Gauss–Bonnet theorem, the major topic of this book, is discussed at great length. The theorem is a most beautiful and deep result in differential geometry. It yields a relation between the integral of the Gaussian curvature over a given oriented closed surface S and the topology of S in terms of its Euler number χ(S). Here again, many illustrations are provided to facilitate the reader’s understanding. Chapter 5, Minimal Surfaces, requires some elementary knowledge of complex analysis. However, the author retained the introductory nature of this book and focused on detailed explanations of the examples of minimal surfaces given in Chapter 2.

Our first knowledge of differential geometry usually comes from the study of the curves and surfaces in I\!\!R^3 that arise in calculus. Here we learn about line and surface integrals, divergence and curl, and the various forms of Stokes' Theorem. If we are fortunate, we may encounter curvature and such things as the Serret-Frenet formulas. With just the basic tools from multivariable calculus, plus a little knowledge of linear algebra, it is possible to begin a much richer and rewarding study of differential geometry, which is what is presented in this book. It starts with an introduction to the classical differential geometry of curves and surfaces in Euclidean space, then leads to an introduction to the Riemannian geometry of more general manifolds, including a look at Einstein spaces. An important bridge from the low-dimensional theory to the general case is provided by a chapter on the intrinsic geometry of surfaces. The first half of the book, covering the geometry of curves and surfaces, would be suitable for a one-semester undergraduate course. The local and global theories of curves and surfaces are presented, including detailed discussions of surfaces of rotation, ruled surfaces, and minimal surfaces. The second half of the book, which could be used for a more advanced course, begins with an introduction to differentiable manifolds, Riemannian structures, and the curvature tensor. Two special topics are treated in detail: spaces of constant curvature and Einstein spaces. The main goal of the book is to get started in a fairly elementary way, then to guide the reader toward more sophisticated concepts and more advanced topics. There are many examples and exercises to help along the way. Numerous figures help the reader visualize key concepts and examples, especially in lower dimensions. For the second edition, a number of errors were corrected and some text and a number of figures have been added.