Differentiating the arc-length identity gives . Multiply by and use to obtain
This derivation does not divide by , so it remains valid where . Inserting the first fundamental form and second fundamental form computed above gives the Gaussian curvature of a surface of revolution:
The surface is obtained by revolving the graph about the -axis. It has a central cylindrical section of radius , two smooth transition collars, and unit spherical caps centred at ; its projection onto the -plane is the region .
For a surface of revolution, the Gaussian curvature of a surface of revolution is
Thus the cylindrical region has . On each transition collar, where , vanishes at the unique inflection circle, and is positive where . The spherical caps have .