Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2021/ib/paper-1/11f/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 ib Paper 1 11F Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
For an oriented smooth surface , the Gauss map sends to the chosen unit normal vector . Since , differentiation shows that is perpendicular to and hence lies in .
In a local parametrization with , differentiatinggivesThus the bilinear form is symmetric, so is self-adjoint. The Gaussian curvature isWriting the coefficients of the first fundamental form asand those of the second fundamental form asone obtains
At an umbilic point, the self-adjoint map has a repeated eigenvalue, so it is a scalar map. If every point is umbilic, there is a function withEquality of mixed partial derivatives givesThe two tangent vectors are linearly independent, hence . Since is connected, is constant.
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