Multi-nets. Classification of discrete and smooth surfaces with characteristic properties on arbitrary parameter rectangles (Q1985297)

In the past two decades, quad nets with planar faces (``discrete conjugate nets'' or ``Q-nets'') have been an important research topic in discrete differential geometry. Q-nets discretize the notion of conjugate surface parametrization; their specialization to circular nets (elementary quadrilaterals are circles) or conical nets (neighbouring faces are tangent to a cone of revolution) give discrete versions of curvature line parametrizations. Q-nets, circular nets, and conical nets are not only interesting from a theoretical viewpoint but also found important applications in architectural geometry. In the present article, the authors strengthen the concept and require that the defining net property -- planarity, circularity, or tangency to a cone of revolution -- holds for arbitrary parameter rectangles. The respective classes of these ``multi-nets'' are, of course, considerably smaller: Multi-Q-nets are discrete projective translation surfaces, multi-circular nets are Möbius transforms of discrete surfaces of revolution, cones or cylinders. Multi-conical nets are parallel to multi-conical nets in the sphere and also allow a rather simple classification. The authors provide a construction for multi-Q-nets in quadrics which gives access to multi-circular-nets and multi-conical-nets via classical transformations of higher geometry. They also describe basic geometric properties, constructions from boundary data (Cauchy problem), and piecewise smooth extensions using smooth surfaces (projective translation surfaces, supercyclides, Dupin cyclides). The potential for multi-Q-nets for devising ``structure preserving'' interpolatory subdivision scheme is highlighted but more details are promised for a forthcoming paper. Finally, also discrete multi-line congruences in the Lie and Plücker quadric are briefly touched upon.