Lightlike surfaces of spacelike curves in de Sitter 3-space

The Lorentzian space form with the positive curvature is called de Sitter space which is an important subject in the theory of relativity. In this paper we consider spacelike curves in de Sitter 3-space. We define the notion of lightlike surfaces of spacelike curves in de Sitter 3-space. We investigate the geometric meanings of the singularities of such surfaces. Work partially supported by Grant-in-Aid for formation of COE. ‘Mathematics of Nonlinear Structure via Singularities’     

New Characterizations of Compact Totally Umbilical Spacelike Surfaces in 4-Dimensional Lorentz–Minkowski Spacetime Through a Lightcone

On each spacelike surface through the lightcone in 4-dimensional Lorentz–Minkowski spacetime, there exists an Artinian normal frame which contains the position vector field. In this way, a (globally defined) lightlike normal vector field, with nontrivial extrinsic meaning, is chosen on the surface. When the second fundamental form respect to that normal direction is non-degenerate, a new formula which relates the Gauss curvature of the induced metric and the Gauss curvature of this normal metric is obtained. Then, the totally umbilical round spheres are characterized as the only compact spacelike surfaces through the lightcone whose normal metric has constant Gauss curvature two. Such surfaces are also distinguished in terms of the Gauss–Kronecker curvature of that lightlike normal direction, of the area of the normal metric and of the first non-trivial eigenvalue of the Laplacian of the induced metric.     

Singularities of lightcone Gauss images of spacelike hypersurfaces in de Sitter space

We define the notions of lightcone Gauss images of spacelike hypersurfaces in de Sitter space. We investigate the relationships between singularities of these maps and geometric properties of spacelike hypersurfaces as an application of the theory of Legendrian singularities. We classify the singularities and give some examples in the generic case in de Sitter 3-space.     

An Invariant Theory of Spacelike Surfaces in the Four-dimensional Minkowski Space

We consider spacelike surfaces in the four-dimensional Minkowski space and introduce geometrically an invariant linear map of Weingarten-type in the tangent plane at any point of the surface under consideration. This allows us to introduce principal lines and an invariant moving frame field. Writing derivative formulas of Frenet-type for this frame field, we obtain eight invariant functions. We prove a fundamental theorem of Bonnet-type, stating that these eight invariants under some natural conditions determine the surface up to a motion. We show that the basic geometric classes of spacelike surfaces in the four-dimensional Minkowski space, determined by conditions on their invariants, can be interpreted in terms of the properties of the two geometric figures: the tangent indicatrix, and the normal curvature ellipse. We apply our theory to a class of spacelike general rotational surfaces.     

Screw invariant marginally trapped surfaces in Minkowski 4-space

A spacelike surface in a Lorentzian manifold whose mean curvature vector is lightlike everywhere is called marginally trapped. The classification of marginally trapped surfaces in Minkowski 4-space which are invariant under a subgroup of the Lorentz group that leaves invariant a lightlike direction, i.e. the so-called screw invariant surfaces, is obtained. As corollaries, the screw invariant marginally trapped surfaces with harmonic mean curvature vector and with prescribed Gaussian curvature are explicitly described.     

The singularities of null surfaces in Anti de Sitter 3-space

We study the geometric properties of degenerate surfaces, which are called AdS null surfaces, in Anti de Sitter 3-space from a contact viewpoint. These surfaces are associated to spacelike curves in Anti de Sitter 3-space. We define a map which is called the torus Gauss image. We also define two families of functions and use them to investigate the singularities of AdS null surfaces and torus Gauss images as applications of singularity theory of functions.     

Duality properties of indicatrices of knots

The bridge index and superbridge index of a knot are important invariants in knot theory. We define the bridge map of a knot conformation, which is closely related to these two invariants, and interpret it in terms of the tangent indicatrix of the knot conformation. Using the concepts of dual and derivative curves of spherical curves as introduced by Arnold, we show that the graph of the bridge map is the union of the binormal indicatrix, its antipodal curve, and some number of great circles. Similarly, we define the inflection map of a knot conformation, interpret it in terms of the binormal indicatrix, and express its graph in terms of the tangent indicatrix. This duality relationship is also studied for another dual pair of curves, the normal and Darboux indicatrices of a knot conformation. The analogous concepts are defined and results are derived for stick knots.     

The Lorentzian surfaces in semi-Euclidean 4-space with index 2

The main goal of this paper is to study singularities of lightlike torus Gauss maps of Lorentzian surfaces (i.e., both tangent plane and normal plane are Lorentz) in semi-Euclidean 4-space with index 2. To do this, we construct a Lorentzian lightlike torus height function and reveal relations between singularities of the Lorentzian lightlike torus height function and those of lightlike torus Gauss map. In addition we study some properties of Lorentzian surface from geometrical viewpoint.     

Singularities of maximal surfaces

We show that the singularities of spacelike maximal surfaces in Lorentz–Minkowski 3-space generically consist of cuspidal edges, swallowtails and cuspidal cross caps. The same result holds for spacelike mean curvature one surfaces in de Sitter 3-space. To prove these, we shall give a simple criterion for a given singular point on a surface to be a cuspidal cross cap. Dedicated to Yusuke Sakane on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Nonlinear partial differential equations associated with binormal motions of constant torsion curves in Minkowski 3-space

We give three nonlinear partial differential equations which are associated with binormal motions of constant torsion curves in Minkowski 3-space. We also give B?cklund transformations for these equations, as well as for surfaces swept out by related moving curves. As applications, from some trivial binormal motions we construct some new binormal motions.     

The lightlike flat geometry on spacelike submanifolds of codimension two in Minkowski space

We introduce the notion of the lightcone Gauss–Kronecker curvature for a spacelike submanifold of codimension two in Minkowski space, which is a generalization of the ordinary notion of Gauss curvature of hypersurfaces in Euclidean space. In the local sense, this curvature describes the contact of such submanifolds with lightlike hyperplanes. We study geometric properties of such curvatures and show a Gauss–Bonnet type theorem. As examples we have hypersurfaces in hyperbolic space, spacelike hypersurfaces in the lightcone and spacelike hypersurfaces in de Sitter space.     

Tubular surfaces of center curves on spacelike surfaces in Lorentz‐Minkowski 3‐space

In this paper, we introduce three kinds of tubular surfaces associated to original center curves γ lying in spacelike surfaces in Lorentz‐Minkowski 3‐space. It is demonstrated that these tubular surfaces can occur some singularities and the types of these singularities can be characterised by several invariants, respectively. Some interesting relations between the contacts of original curve γ with osculating model surfaces, the contacts of γ with slices, and the singularities of three kinds of surfaces are further revealed. Several examples are presented to explain the theoretical results.     

The Fermi-Walker Derivative on the Spherical Indicatrix of Spacelike Curve in Minkowski 3-Space

In this paper Fermi-Walker derivative, Fermi-Walker parallelism, non-rotating frame and Fermi-Walker terms Darboux vector concepts are given along the spherical indicatrix of a spacelike curve with a spacelike or timelike principal normal in \({E_{1}^{3}}\). First, we consider a spacelike curve in the Minkowski space and investigate the Fermi-Walker derivative along the tangent. The concepts with the Fermi-Walker derivative are analyzed along its tangent. Then, the Fermi-Walker derivative and its theorems are analyzed along the principal normal indicatrix and the binormal indicatrix of spacelike curve in \({E_{1}^{3}}\).     

Singularities of lightlike hypersurface in semi-Euclidean 4-space with index 2

Anti de Sitter space is a maximally symmetric, vacuum solution of Einstein’s field equation with an attractive cosmological constant, and is the hyperquadric of semi-Euclidean space with index 2. So it is meaningful to study the submanifold in semi-Euclidean 4-space with index 2. However, the research on the submanifold in semi-Euclidean 4-space with index 2 has not been found from theory of singularity until now. In this paper, as a generalization of the study on lightlike hypersurface in Minkowski space and a preparation for the further study on anti de Sitter space, the singularities of lightlike hypersurface and Lorentzian surface in semi- Euclidean 4-space with index 2 will be studied. To do this, we reveal the relationships between the singularity of distance-squared function and that of lightlike hypersurface. In addition some geometric properties of lightlike hypersurface and Lorentzian surface are studied from geometrical point of view.     

三维Minkowski空间中非类光曲线的双曲达布像和从切高斯曲面

本文主要给出了三维Minkowski空间中非类光曲线的双曲达布像和从切高斯曲面的奇点分类,并且建立了奇点和曲线几何不变量之间的联系,其中曲线几何不变量与曲线同螺线切触的阶数密切相关.     

Total lightcone curvatures of spacelike submanifolds in Lorentz–Minkowski space

We introduce the totally absolute lightcone curvature for a spacelike submanifold with general codimension and investigate global properties of this curvature. One of the consequences is that the Chern–Lashof type inequality holds. Then the notion of lightlike tightness is naturally induced.     

Discrete maximal surfaces with singularities in Minkowski space

We describe discrete maximal surfaces with singularities in 3-dimensional Minkowski space and give a Weierstrass type representation for them. In the smooth case, maximal surfaces (spacelike surfaces with mean curvature identically 0) in Minkowski 3-space generally have certain singularities. We give a criterion that naturally describes the “singular set” for discrete maximal surfaces, including a classification of the various types of singularities that are possible in the discrete case.     

Pseudo-spherical Darboux images and lightcone images of principal-directional curves of nonlightlike curves in Minkowski 3-space

Choosing an alternative frame, which is the Frenet frame of the principal-directional curve along a nonlightlike Frenet curve γ , we define de Sitter Darboux images, hyperbolic Darboux images, and lightcone images generated by the principal directional curves of nonlightlike Frenet curves and investigate geometric properties of these associated curves under considerations of singularity theory, contact, and Legendrian duality. It is shown that pseudo-spherical Darboux images and lightcone images can occur singularities (ordinary cusp) characterized by some important invariants. More interestingly, the cusp is closely related to the contact between nonlightlike Frenet curve γ and a slant helix, the principal-directional curve ψ of γ and a helix or the principal-directional curve ψ and a slant helix. In addition, some relations of Legendrian dualities between C-curves and pseudo-spherical Darboux images or lightcone images are shown. Some concrete examples are provided to illustrate our results.     

Evolutes of fronts in the Minkowski plane

We consider the differential geometry of evolutes of singular curves and give the definitions of spacelike fronts and timelike fronts in the Minkowski plane. We also give the notions of moving frames along the non‐lightlike fronts in the Minkowski plane. By using the moving frames, we define the evolutes of non‐lightlike fronts and investigate the geometric properties of these evolutes. We obtain that the evolute of a spacelike front is a timelike front and the evolute of a timelike front is a spacelike front. Since the evolute of a non‐lightlike front is also a non‐lightlike front, we can take evolute again. We study the Minkowski Zigzag number of non‐lightlike fronts and give the n‐th evolute of the non‐lightlike front. Finally, we give an example to illustrate our results.     

On closed timelike and spacelike ruled surfaces

In this study, by using the concepts and results on spherical curves in dual Lorentzian space, we give the criterions for ruled surfaces with non‐lightlike ruling to be closed (periodic). Moreover, we obtain the necessary and sufficient conditions to guarantee that a timelike or a spacelike ruled surface is closed (periodic). Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.