Harmonic mean curvature lines on surfaces immersed in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) (Q1416086)

Consider an oriented surface immersed in \(\mathbb R^3\), and let \(k_1\) and \(k_2\) be the principle curvatures of the surface. On the part \(R\) of the surface where the Gaussian curvature \(K=k_1k_2\) is positive, the authors of the paper under review call the quantity \(2/(1/k_1+1/k_2)=K/H\) the harmonic mean curvature of the surface, where \(H=(k_1+k_2)/2\) is the usual mean curvature. On \(R\), there are two transversal foliations with singularities. The leaves of the foliations are the curves along which the normal curvature of the surface equals \(K/H\), called by the authors lines of harmonic mean curvature. The singularities occur at the umbilic points, i.e., the points where \(k_1=k_2\). The authors determine the generic patterns of the foliations near the umbilic points in \(R\) and near the boundary curve \(K=0\) of \(R\).