Dupin's Indicatrix of a Torus
Dupin's Indicatrix of a Torus
This Demonstration shows how Dupin's indicatrix changes at a variable point on a torus.
In the tangent plane at a point of a surface , Dupin's indicatrix is given by the equation
p
M
κ
1
2
x
κ
2
2
y
where the , axes coincide with the principal directions at and , are the principal curvatures of at .
x
y
p
κ
1
κ
2
M
p
• If is an elliptical point, the indicatrix consists of two ellipses (one real and one imaginary).
p
• If is a hyperbolic point, the indicatrix consists of two conjugate hyperbolas with asymptotes through the asymptotic directions at .
p
p
• If is a parabolic point, the indicatrix degenerates into a pair of parallel lines.
p