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In mathematics, a surface is a mathematical model of the common concept of a surface. It is a generalization of a plane, but, unlike a plane, ... For example, a ...
This is a list of surfaces in mathematics. They are divided into minimal surfaces , ruled surfaces , non-orientable surfaces , quadrics , pseudospherical surfaces , algebraic surfaces , and other types of surfaces.
An open surface with x-, y-, and z-contours shown.. In the part of mathematics referred to as topology, a surface is a two-dimensional manifold.Some surfaces arise as the boundaries of three-dimensional solid figures; for example, the sphere is the boundary of the solid ball.
Simple examples. A simple example of a regular surface is given by the 2-sphere {(x, y, z) | x 2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1}; this surface can be covered by six Monge patches (two of each of the three types given above), taking h(u, v) = ± (1 − u 2 − v 2) 1/2. It can also be covered by two local parametrizations, using stereographic projection.
Tessellations of euclidean and hyperbolic space may also be considered regular polytopes. Note that an 'n'-dimensional polytope actually tessellates a space of one dimension less. For example, the (three-dimensional) platonic solids tessellate the 'two'-dimensional 'surface' of the sphere.
Quotient surfaces, surfaces that are constructed as the orbit space of some other surface by the action of a finite group; examples include Kummer, Godeaux, Hopf, and Inoue surfaces; Zariski surfaces, surfaces in finite characteristic that admit a purely inseparable dominant rational map from the projective plane
Ruled surface generated by two Bézier curves as directrices (red, green) A surface in 3-dimensional Euclidean space is called a ruled surface if it is the union of a differentiable one-parameter family of lines. Formally, a ruled surface is a surface in is described by a parametric representation of the form
Other surfaces considered in physics are wavefronts. One of these, discovered by Fresnel, is called wave surface by mathematicians. The surface of the reflector of a telescope is a paraboloid of revolution. Other occurrences: Soap bubbles, which are physical examples of minimal surfaces; Equipotential surface in, e.g., gravity fields; Earth's ...