Lines of axial curvature on surfaces immersed in \(\mathbb{R}^4\) (Q1573620)

In this paper the main notions concerning umbilics and lines of principal curvature are extended to two-dimensional surfaces immersed in the four dimensional space. The authors continue and extend the ideas of the curvature theory for surfaces in four dimensional spaces of \textit{Y.-C. Wong} [Comment. Math. Helv. 26, 152-170 (1952; Zbl 0048.15102)] and \textit{J. A. Little} [Ann. Mat. Pura Appl., IV. Ser. 83, 261-335 (1969; Zbl 0187.18903)]. They study the concept of axiumbilic points, analogous to classical umbilics, and periodic lines of axial curvature, corresponding to principal and mean curvature cycles in the classical three dimensional case. Further, the notion of principal structural stability of immersions of surfaces into the three dimensional surface is extended to that of axial structural stability for the case of surfaces in the four-dimensional space. Beginning with the analysis of the differential equation of lines of axial curvature they establish the qualitative behaviour of the axial configuration in a neighbourhood of an axiumbilic point. The condition of stability at axiumbilic points is expressed in invariant form. At the end their results are put together to provide sufficient conditions for axial stability in terms of axiumbilics, axial cycles and the asymptotic behaviour of all the other lines of axial curvature.