Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2024 / ii / Paper 1 / 26J / a / Solution

Choose a smooth unit normal $N$. For $v,w\in T_p\Sigma$, the first fundamental form and second fundamental form arewhere the shape operator is $S_p=-d{N}_p$. The principal curvatures are the eigenvalues ${\kappa }_1,{\kappa }_2$ of $S_p$; the mean curvature and Gaussian curvature areThe surface is minimal when $H=0$ everywhere.