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Let $D$ be the ambient Levi-Civita connection and $\nabla$ the one for the induced metric on $M$. The Gauss formula iswhere the second fundamental form $II(X,Y)=(D_{X}Y{)}^{\perp }$ is normal. The tangential part of $D$ is metric-compatible and torsion-free, so the existence and uniqueness of the Levi-Civita connection identifies it with $\nabla$.

For a normal field $\xi$, the Weingarten formula defines the shape operator in a normal direction $A_{\xi }$ and the normal connection byDifferentiate $⟨\xi ,Y⟩=0$ using metric compatibility to getThe symmetry of the second fundamental form follows from the ambient torsion-free condition:since the Lie bracket of vector fields tangent to $M$ is tangent. Thereforeso every normal-direction shape operator is self-adjoint.

The paper uses $R(X,Y)=D_{[X,Y]}-[D_X,D_Y]$, so use the Gauss equation with reversed curvature convention. Applying the Gauss formula and Weingarten formula twice givesSubtracting in the stated curvature order yieldsPair with a tangent field $W$ and use the defining relation for the shape operator in a normal direction:This is the Gauss equation in the supplied sign convention. If one defines curvature by $[D_X,D_Y]-D_{[X,Y]}$ instead, the two quadratic terms have the opposite signs.

For an orthonormal frame $X,Y$ on a surface, positive Gaussian curvature with the convention here is $K=⟨R^M(X,Y)X,Y⟩$. If the ambient space is Euclidean and $\xi$ is a unit normal, the equation becomesThe Koszul formula determines $\nabla$ from the induced metric, and hence determines its Riemann curvature tensor and $K$. Therefore the Gaussian curvature depends only on that metric, even though its expression as a product of principal curvatures appears extrinsic. This is Theorema Egregium.

Let $i:M\hookrightarrow N$ be the inclusion. The restriction of a connection to an embedded submanifold is the pullback connection on $i^{\ast }TN=TN{|}_M$. Concretely, for a tangent vector field $X$ on $M$ and a local section $S$ of $TN{|}_M$, extend $S$ smoothly off $M$ and define ${\nabla }_{X}S$ by differentiating the extension in direction $di(X)$. Two extensions differ by a field whose coefficients vanish on $M$. Their derivatives along every tangent curve in $M$ vanish too, and the connection's coefficient terms are multiplied by the zero field. The answer is therefore independent of the extension. Dependence only on the value of the first argument follows from the connection's linearity over smooth functions.

The induced Riemannian metric is positive definite, so the fibrewise orthogonal projection $\pi :TN{|}_M\to TM$ is smooth. For tangent fields define the projected ambient connection $D_{X}Y=\pi ({\nabla }_{X}Y)$. It is real-linear and satisfiesbecause $\pi Y=Y$. Thus $D$ is a Koszul connection on $M$.

The Levi-Civita connection is characterized by the torsion-free connection and metric connection conditionsThese determine it uniquely. For the ambient Levi-Civita connection, the Gauss formula is ${\nabla }_{X}Y=D_{X}Y+II(X,Y)$, withLinearity over smooth functions in $X$ is immediate. In $Y$, the additional $X(f)Y$ term is tangent and is killed by $I-\pi$. Thus tensoriality makes $II$ a bilinear map $TM{\times }_{M}TM\to \nu M$ into the normal bundle. Its antisymmetric part isbecause the Lie bracket of vector fields tangent to $M$ is tangent. This proves the symmetry of the second fundamental form in an arbitrary Riemannian ambient manifold.

Write the curvature operators as $R^N(v,w)y={\nabla }_v{\nabla }_{w}y-{\nabla }_w{\nabla }_{v}y-{\nabla }_{[v,w]}y$ and $R^M$ with $D$ in place of $\nabla$. To match the four-slot notation in the requested identity, useThis convention is stated because permuting the slots can change the displayed signs.

If $\eta$ is a normal field and $x$ is tangent, metric compatibility applied to $⟨\eta ,x⟩=0$ gives the tangential derivative of a normal field identityUsing the Gauss formula and this identity,Here the normal part of ${\nabla }_v(D_{w}y)$ pairs to zero with $x$. Interchange $v,w$ and subtract; the bracket term obeys $⟨{\nabla }_{[v,w]}y,x⟩=⟨D_{[v,w]}y,x⟩$. It follows thatRearranging proves the Gauss equation in a curved ambient manifold:All expressions are tensorial, so choosing local extensions of the four tangent vectors proves the pointwise identity at $P$. With flat Euclidean ambient space, $R^N=0$ and this reduces to the usual Gauss equation.

Let $\overline{\nabla }$ be the Euclidean connection and split the ambient tangent bundle along the embedded submanifold as $T{\mathbb{R}}^{n+m}{|}_M=TM\oplus NM$. The second fundamental form is the normal-bundle-valued bilinear formIt is symmetric because $\overline{\nabla }$ is torsion-free and the Lie bracket of tangent vector fields remains tangent:This is the symmetry of the second fundamental form.

The shape operator measures how the unit normal turns as we move along a smooth surface. A plane has a constant unit normal, whereas the outward unit normal of a sphere turns in every direction in the tangent plane. Keeping the direction of this change, rather than just its magnitude, lets one recover the principal curvatures and their principal directions.

Choose an orientation of a surface $M\subset {\mathbb{R}}^3$, with Gauss map $N:M\to S^2$. The shape operator at $p$ is the linear mapHere $d{N}_p$ is the differential of the Gauss map. Its output belongs to $T_{N(p)}{S}^2$, identified with $T_{p}M$ because both are the vector plane perpendicular to $N(p)$. The minus sign is our convention throughout this branch. ^[ref]

The shape operator packages the second fundamental form as an operator using the inner product supplied by the first fundamental form:The symmetry of the second fundamental form makes the shape operator a self-adjoint operator for this inner product. Thus an orthonormal basis of principal directions diagonalizes it. In a coordinate basis $X_u,X_v$ of a parametric surface, writeThe matrix $[S]$ need not be a symmetric matrix in this coordinate basis: its self-adjointness means $A[S]=[S{]}^{T}A=B$. Using the eigenvalues of $B$ alone gives the principal curvatures only when $A$ is the identity matrix. ^[ref]

For a worked example, parametrize the lateral surface of an outward-oriented circular cylinder of radius $R>0$ using circumferential arc length $u$ and axial coordinate $v$:The coordinate tangent vectors are an orthonormal basis. Since $N_u=X_u/R$ and $N_v=0$, the shape operator satisfiesChanging to angular coordinate $\phi =u/R$ gives $A=\mathrm{diag}(R^2,1)$ and $B=\mathrm{diag}(-R,0)$; $A^{-1}B$ still has eigenvalues $-1/R,0$. This is why the first fundamental form must participate in the calculation.

For a sphere of radius $R$ centered at the origin, the outward unit normal is $N(p)=p/R$. Hence $S_{p}v=-v/R$, so both principal curvatures are $-1/R$. For a plane, $dN=0$ and the shape operator vanishes. Reversing the unit normal negates the shape operator and both principal curvatures; the Gaussian curvature remains unchanged while the mean curvature changes sign, as in orientation reversal of surface curvature.

For a normal vector $\xi$, this identity defines the corresponding shape operator using the vector-valued second fundamental form. It is self-adjoint because of the symmetry of the second fundamental form. Differentiating $⟨\xi ,Y⟩=0$ shows that $A_{\xi }X=-(D_X\xi {)}^{\top }$. In higher codimension there is a different operator for each normal direction.