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The map $T(x)=1/x-\lfloor 1/x\rfloor$ on $(0,1]$, with $T(0)=0$. Its digit $N(x)=\lfloor 1/x\rfloor$ gives the successive partial quotients $N(T^{j}x)$ of a continued fraction. This is distinct from the geometric Gauss map assigning surface normals.

For an oriented smooth embedded surface, the Gauss map sends each point to its chosen unit normal. This surface is the ring torus with major radius two and minor radius one. Its outward Gauss map isOn the $y=0$ cross-section, the normal points radially away from the center of each generating circle, which gives this formula for $u=0,\pi$ and then rotational symmetry gives it for all $u$.

The upper hemisphere condition is $\sin v>0$, hence $0<v<\pi$. For this torus, the Gaussian curvature and area element areTherefore the positive outer and negative inner contributions cancel:

For an oriented smooth surface $S$, the Gauss map sends $p$ to the chosen unit normal vector $N(p)\in S^2$. Since $|N{|}^2=1$, differentiation shows that $D{N}_p(X)$ is perpendicular to $N(p)$ and hence lies in $T_{p}S$.

In a local parametrization $\varphi (u,v)$ with $n=N\circ \varphi$, differentiatinggivesThus the bilinear form $(X,Y)\mapsto D{N}_p(X)\cdot Y$ is symmetric, so $D{N}_p$ 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 $D{N}_p$ has a repeated eigenvalue, so it is a scalar map. If every point is umbilic, there is a function $\lambda$ withEquality of mixed partial derivatives givesThe two tangent vectors are linearly independent, hence ${\lambda }_u={\lambda }_v=0$. Since ${\mathbb{R}}^2$ is connected, $\lambda$ is constant.

If $\lambda =0$, then $n$ is constant andso $S$ lies in a plane. If $\lambda \ne 0$, thenThus $n-\lambda \varphi =c$ is constant, andTherefore $S$ lies in a sphere of radius $1/|\lambda |$. This proves that the surface is part of a plane or part of a sphere.

For an oriented regular surface with unit normal $N$, the Gauss map sends each point $p$ to $N(p)\in S^2$. The outward normal to the catenoid isIts image is the open southern hemisphere, apart from its limiting equator and south pole. The Gauss map is one-to-one after taking $v$ modulo $2\pi$ and reverses orientation. Since the Jacobian of the Gauss map is the Gaussian curvature, its signed spherical area is the total Gaussian curvature:Equivalently, $KdA=-{\mathrm{sech}}^{2}ududv$, whose integral over $u>0$ and $0\le v<2\pi$ is $-2\pi$.

The Gauss map sends $p$ to the chosen unit normal $N(p)$. Differentiating $⟨N,N⟩=1$ shows that $d{N}_p$ maps $T_{p}S$ into itself. The shape operator $S_p=-d{N}_p$ is self-adjoint because its associated second fundamental form is symmetric. Its eigenvalues $k_1,k_2$ are the principal curvatures. A point is umbilical when $k_1=k_2$, and the surface is minimal when its mean curvature $H=(k_1+k_2)/2$ vanishes everywhere.

In an orthonormal principal basis, $d{N}_p$ has diagonal matrix $\mathrm{diag}(-k_1,-k_2)$. It is conformal exactly whenwhich is equivalent to $k_1^2=k_2^2\ne 0$. At a nonumbilical point this says $k_1=-k_2$, exactly the condition $H=0$. Hence, when there are no umbilical points, the surface is minimal if and only if its Gauss map is conformal.

Choose the orientation of a surface represented by a smooth Gauss map $N:S\to {\mathbb{S}}^2$. The shape operator at $p$ isIf its principal curvatures are $k_1,k_2$, then by definition

Let $E(x)=Ax+b$ be a proper Euclidean motion of Euclidean three-space, so $A\in SO(3)$. Orient $\tilde{S}=E(S)$ by transporting the normal:The chain rule gives the orthogonal conjugacyThe determinant and trace are invariant under similarity, so the Euclidean invariance of the shape operator yields

If the surface orientation is reversed, then $N$ and $S_p$ are multiplied by $-1$. Therefore the orientation reversal of surface curvature says

Use the global parametrizationIts tangent vectors areandThus $X$ is a regular parametrization and the graph is a smooth surface.

The first fundamental form isChoosing the upward orientation, the Gauss map is

For a local parametrization $X(u^1,u^2)$, the first fundamental form is the Euclidean inner product restricted to each tangent plane:Writing $u^1=u,u^2=v$, this is

After choosing an orientation, the Gauss map isThe second fundamental form is $II(v,w)=⟨S(v),w⟩$, where the shape operator is $S=-dN$. In coordinates,The Gaussian curvature and mean curvature are respectively the determinant and half the trace of $S$:Changing the chosen normal reverses $II$ and $H$ but leaves $K$ unchanged.

An orientation of $S$ chooses a unit normal at every point. The Gauss map isFor the unit tangent $T=\dot{\alpha }$, the surface covariant derivative is the tangential projectionThe signed geodesic curvature isBecause $|T|=1$, $D_{s}T$ is perpendicular to $T$ and henceConsequently ${\kappa }_g=0$ means $D_{s}T=0$: the tangent is parallel along $\alpha$, so $\alpha$ is a geodesic.