On normal and conormal maps for affine hypersurfaces (Q1204166): Difference between revisions

We prove two main results in affine differential geometry that characterize ellipsoids among the ovaloids. The first theorem states that an ovaloid in the 3-dimensional affine space is an ellipsoid if and only if the Laplacian of the normal map is proportional to the normal map. The second theorem says that a hyperovaloid in an affine space of any dimension is a hyperellipsoid if and only if the conormal image (or the normal image) is a hyperellipsoid with center at the origin.