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Geometric invariants and principal configurations on spacelike surfaces immersed in ℝ3,1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 December 2010

Pierre Bayard
Affiliation:
Instituto de Física y Matemáticas, U.M.S.N.H. Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 58040 Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico (bayard@ifm.umich.mx)
Federico Sánchez-Bringas
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Matemáticas, Circuito Exterior Cd. Universitaria, Colonia Copilco el Bajo, Delegación Coyoacán, Mexico D.F., C.P. 04510, Mexico (sanchez@servidor.unam.mx)

Abstract

We describe the numerical invariants and the curvature ellipse attached to the second fundamental form of a spacelike surface in a four-dimensional Minkowski space. We then study the configuration of the V-principal curvature lines on a spacelike surface when the normal field V is lightlike (the lightcone configuration). We end with some observations on the mean directionally curved lines and on the asymptotic lines on spacelike surfaces.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 2010

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