The Lagrangian Gauss image of a compact surface in Minkowski 3-space (Q1345038)

The author continues his study of compact hypersurfaces in Minkowski 3- space [Mich. Math. J. 38, No. 3, 401-415 (1991; Zbl 0755.53037)]. Generically, such a hypersurface contains two or more closed curves at which the metric is degenerate. The author mentions that generically the induced metric on these curves is positive definite or locally of the form \(t^ 2 a(t) dt^ 2\), where \(a(0)\) does not vanish. This is taken as motivation to study such curves abstractly. He observes that there is a well defined plane bundle orthogonal to such a curve. Further, in this plane bundle there are two (up to multiple uniquely defined) sections whose values are everywhere null and do not vanish. These two sections are then used as an analogue of the usual Gauß-map in Riemannian hypersurface theory. (His definition of ``Lagrangian Gauß image'' is slightly more complicated but this seems to be the essential picture). He defines intersection numbers for Lagrangian Gauß images and finds several relations between these numbers. Finally, he shows that these curves can be realized as degenerate curves in compact hypersurfaces if certain necessary conditions (relating the indices) are satisfied.