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The document discusses the global Gauss-Bonnet theorem for a 2-manifold without boundary, detailing the triangulation of the manifold and the relationship between its Euler characteristic and curvature. It presents several lemmas that contribute to the proof of the theorem, including the cancellation of contributions from edges and the additivity of contributions from faces and vertices. The theorem concludes that the integral of the Gaussian curvature over the manifold is proportional to its Euler characteristic, establishing a fundamental connection between geometry and topology.

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3 views

lecture16

The document discusses the global Gauss-Bonnet theorem for a 2-manifold without boundary, detailing the triangulation of the manifold and the relationship between its Euler characteristic and curvature. It presents several lemmas that contribute to the proof of the theorem, including the cancellation of contributions from edges and the additivity of contributions from faces and vertices. The theorem concludes that the integral of the Gaussian curvature over the manifold is proportional to its Euler characteristic, establishing a fundamental connection between geometry and topology.

Uploaded by

roger.chemoul86
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DIFFERENTIAL GEOMETRY

MATH 136

Unit 16: Global Gauss-Bonnet

16.1. Now we are ready to prove the global Gauss-Bonnet theorem for a 2-
manifold M without boundary. The surface M is triangulated by a discrete manifold
G = (V, E, F ), where the faces F are the triangles defined by the graph (V, E). The
discrete manifold is geometrically realized in M as a collection of points, a collection
of curves connecting vertices. The geometrically realized network divides M up into
triangular faces Mi = r(Ui ). The Euler characteristic of M is χ(M ) = V − E + F .
As we have seen, χ(M ) does not depend on the triangulation: topological changes
like removing a disc and gluing in a new disc (we called this as a connected sum
M → M #S 2 ) or doing a Barycentric refinement does not change χ(M ).
RR
Theorem 1 (Gauss-Bonnet theorem). For a compact 2-manifold, M KdV = 2πχ(M ).

Figure 1. A triangulated manifold M . We apply the local Gauss-


Bonnet theorem on each of the triangles. TheRRedge contributions produce
with Green’s theorem the face curvatures Mi K dV as well as 2πF .
The vertex contributions produce, using the Euler Handshake lemma,
2π(V − E). Overall, we have 2π(V − E + F ) = 2πχ(M ). The picture
shows a M = T2 with V = 64 vertices.
Differential Geometry

16.2. We will use the local Gauss-Bonnet theorem for each triangle Ui with angles
αi1 , αi2 , αi3 . We first of all want to understand what happens if we glue together
triangles such that the frame field X = [zwu , zwv ] can be define on the union. On the
curve obtained by intersecting two adjacent triangles, the line integral of X cancels.
Lemma 1 (Cancellation). If two triangles M1 , M R 2 meet in Ra curve C and C1 , C2 are
the parametrizations matching the M1 , M2 , then C1 X dr + C2 X dr = 0.

RProof. If XRis a 1-form and C is a curve and −C is the curve passed backwards, then
C
X dr + −C X dr. This is what happens here. You can see the identity also as a
consequence of Green also, noting that C ∪ −C encloses an “empty region”. 1 □
16.3. We see that all the 1-form contributions from the edges are zero. The contribu-
tions from the faces Mi add up:
R P R
Lemma 2 (Additivity). M K dV = i Mi K dV .
S
Proof. The patches Mi are all disjoint. Their union is i Mi = M . Areas of disjoint
regions add up. □
2
16.4. The contributions from the vertex degrees di = |S(vi )| add up too.
P
Lemma 3 (Euler handshake). If (V, E) has vertex degrees di , then 2E = i di .
Proof. You prove this in a homework. □
16.5. We still have to look at the contributions from the vertices. At each point Pi we
have angles αij for j = 1, . . . , dj , where dj is the vertex degree.
Lemma 4 (Adding vertex curvatures). Fi=1 dj=1
P Pi
κij = 2πE − 2πV .
Proof. Three comfortable pitches (this is called “Genusskletterei”).
i) Fi=1 dj=1 κij = Fi=1 3j=1 (π − αij ).
P Pi P P
(Pitch
ii) Vk=1 dj=1
P Pk
(Pitch π = 2πE.
PV Pdk
(Pitch iii) k=1 j=1 βkj = 2πV . □
16.6. Proof of the global Gauss-BonnetP RRtheorem: P
The local Gauss-Bonnet theorem told us i [ Ui KdV + j κij − 2π] = 0. This means
RR P
that U K dV + i,j κij − 2πF = 0. Therefore, using the previous lemma:
ZZ
K dV = 2πV − 2πE + 2πF = 2πχ(M ) .
U
RR
16.7. 1) If M is x2 /a2 + yRR
2 2
/b + z 2 /c2 = 1, then M K dV = 4πRR (HW).
2) A genus k surface has M K dV = 2π(2 − 2k). For a torus M KRRdV = 0.
3) A Klein bottle is obtained by gluing two Möbius strips together. M K dV = 0.
Because each Möbius strip has Euler characteristic 0 (you computed that in an ex-
ample), and the Möbius strip can be realized so that the boundary curvature χg is
zero.
Oliver Knill, knill@math.harvard.edu, Math 136, Fall, 2024
1An easier way is to make the connections geodesics so that the line integrals are zero anyway.
That works also in the non-orientable case
2If V, E, F are the vertices, edges and faces. It is custom to write its cardinalities as V, E, F .

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