On the theory of surfaces in the four-dimensional Euclidean space (Q936519)

The authors study these surfaces with respect to the first fundamental form \(g\) induced from the flat metric on the ambient space and a second fundamental form \(h\) whose conformality class is also used in the corresponding equi-affine theory. The connecting endomorphism between \(g\) and \(h\) is called the Weingarten map and its characteristic invariants are introduced as \(k\) (determinant) and \(\kappa\) half the trace). Special topics treated in this setting are the characterization of the vanishing of \(h\) (known from the equi-affine case), equivalences for minimality and flatness of the normal connection, some relations to the invariants of \textit{T. Otsuki} and \textit{K. Shiohama} [Kodai Math. Semin. Rep. 18, 101--115 (1966; Zbl 0149.39404)], and several explicit results for rotational surfaces.