Generalized curvatures (Q2477047)

This book is a welcome addition to the literature in differential geometry. The main aim of this book is the measure of geometric quantities describing a subset of the Euclidean space (\(\mathbb{E}^n, \langle\;,\;\rangle\)) endowed with its standard scalar product. The book is organized as follows: Chapter 1 -- Introduction: The whole book is summarized in this chapter. Part I -- Motivation: Containing chapters 2 and 3. The length of a smooth curve and its curvature is explained in chapter 2. The area of a smooth surface and its mean and Gauss curvature is given in chapter 3. The problem of their discrete equivalents is also derived in this chapter. Part II -- Background -- metrics and measures: Consist of the chapters 4 and 5. Chapter 4 deals with the distance map and projection map in \(\mathbb{E}^n\). Their local and global properties are also given in this chapter. The basic and classical constructions of measures are summarized in chapter 5. It covers Lebesgue measure, the change of variable and the area and corarea formulas. Part III -- Background polyhedra and convex subsets: Containing chapters 6 and 7. Chapter 6 is devoted to the indispensable background on polyhedra. This chapter ends with the Gauss-Bonnet theorem for polyhedra. Chapter 7 deals with convexity. Part IV -- Background classical tools in differential geometry: This part consist of the chapters 8--12. Chapters 8 and 9 recall the definition of differential forms and densities on a manifold and their relations with measures. Chapters 10 and 11 give the necessary background on Riemannian geometry. Chapter 12 gives the basic background on currents, dual to differential forms. Part V -- On Volume: Consist of the chapters 13, 14 and 15. Chapter 13 studies deeply the well-known Lantern of Schwarz (first example of a nonconvergence theorem for area). Chapter 14 applies the previous results to the evaluation of the length of curves approximated by a polygonal line, in terms of the relative curvature, which connects the Hausdorff distance of submanifolds and the second \ fundamental form of the initial one. Chapter 15 applies the previous results to surfaces in \(\mathbb{E}^3\), approximated by triangulations. Part VI -- The Steiner formula: This part consist of the chapters 16, 17 and 18. Chapter 16 sets out main theory of Steiner. Chapter 17 sets out the extension by Weyl of the results of Steiner, namely, the tubes formula. Chapter 18 deal with a part of the deep work of Federer on geometric measure related to curvature measures. Part VII -- The theory of normal cycles: Consist of the chapters 19, 20, 21, and 22. Chapter 19 classifies the differential forms ``invariant under rigid motions'', defined on the unit tangent bundle of \(\mathbb{E}^{n}\). The main results of chapter 20 are two theorems related with convergence and approximation for the normal cycles of sequences of triangulated polyhedra. Chapter 21 defines curvature measures of geometric sets, by integrating these forms on the normal cycles. Chapter 22 notes that the previous theory deals with principal curvatures but never with principal directions. Part VIII -- Applications to curves and surfaces: Containing chapters 23--27. Chapters 23--26 apply the results of previous chapters to the most useful situations: curves and surfaces in \(\mathbb{E}^2\) and \(\mathbb{E}^3\). The last chapter (Chapter 27) is devoted to the applications of previous theories to the Voronoi diagram and Delaunay triangulations. The book contains 107 figures and the bibliography contains about 89 entries. The book covers an active, interesting and fresh research area. It is very useful for researchers in differential geometry and related subjects.