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The product k 1 k 2 of the two principal curvatures is the Gaussian curvature, K, and the average (k 1 + k 2)/2 is the mean curvature, H. If at least one of the principal curvatures is zero at every point, then the Gaussian curvature will be 0 and the surface is a developable surface. For a minimal surface, the mean curvature is zero at every ...
For a surface defined in 3D space, the mean curvature is related to a unit normal of the surface: = ^ where the normal chosen affects the sign of the curvature. The sign of the curvature depends on the choice of normal: the curvature is positive if the surface curves "towards" the normal.
A plane curve with non-vanishing curvature has zero torsion at all points. Conversely, if the torsion of a regular curve with non-vanishing curvature is identically zero, then this curve belongs to a fixed plane. The curvature and the torsion of a helix are constant. Conversely, any space curve whose curvature and torsion are both constant and ...
is equal to one. This parametrization gives the same value for the curvature, as it amounts to division by r 3 in both the numerator and the denominator in the preceding formula. The same circle can also be defined by the implicit equation F(x, y) = 0 with F(x, y) = x 2 + y 2 – r 2. Then, the formula for the curvature in this case gives
Animation depicting evolution of a Cornu spiral with the tangential circle with the same radius of curvature as at its tip, also known as an osculating circle.. To travel along a circular path, an object needs to be subject to a centripetal acceleration (for example: the Moon circles around the Earth because of gravity; a car turns its front wheels inward to generate a centripetal force).
Theorema egregium of Gauss states that the Gaussian curvature of a surface can be expressed solely in terms of the first fundamental form and its derivatives, so that K is in fact an intrinsic invariant of the surface. An explicit expression for the Gaussian curvature in terms of the first fundamental form is provided by the Brioschi formula.
The third essential description of a curve is the parametric one, where the x- and y-coordinates of curve points are represented by two functions x(t), y(t) both of whose functional forms are explicitly stated, and which are dependent on a common parameter . Examples of implicit curves include:
Minimal surface curvature planes. On a minimal surface, the curvature along the principal curvature planes are equal and opposite at every point. This makes the mean curvature zero. Mean curvature definition: A surface is minimal if and only if its mean curvature is equal to zero at all points.