Polyhedral Gauss-Bonnet theorems and valuations

DOI10.1007/S13366-017-0364-4MaRDI QIDQ1646647zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Rolf Schneider

Publication date 25 June 2018

Published in Beiträge zur Algebra und Geometrie (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1708.05213

zbMATH Keywords

critical point theoremGauss-Bonnet theorempolyhedral curvaturepolyhedronvaluation

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Combinatorial properties of polytopes and polyhedra (number of faces, shortest paths, etc.) (52B05) Dissections and valuations (Hilbert's third problem, etc.) (52B45) Polyhedral manifolds (52B70)

Abstract: The Gauss-Bonnet theorem for a polyhedron (a union of finitely many compact convex polytopes) in $n$-dimensional Euclidean space expresses the Euler characteristic of the polyhedron as a sum of certain curvatures, which are different from zero only at the vertices of the polyhedron. This note suggests a generalization of these polyhedral vertex curvatures, based on valuations, and thus obtains a variety of polyhedral Gauss-Bonnet theorems.

Review text

A (convex) polytope is the convex hull of finitely many points in \(\mathbb{R}^n\), and each polytope \(P\) has a corresponding Euler characteristic \(\chi(P)\). The Gauss-Bonnet theorem expresses \(\chi(P)\) as a sum of proportions of volumes that normal cones of \(P\), at its vertices, cut from the unit ball. This theorem has previously been extended to polyhedral cell complexes and piecewise flat spaces. By a polyhedron, the author means a finite union of convex polytopes in \(\mathbb{R}^n\). Since the summands of the Gauss-Bonnet theorem are additive, the Gauss-Bonnet formula can be extended to polyhedra as well. In this article, the author addresses two main questions: first, when can the Gauss-Bonnet formula be simplified beyond a direct inclusion-exclusion description? Second, to what extent can ``vertex curvature be defined so that Gauss-Bonnet-style theorems hold? The author introduces the notion of polyhedral vertex curvature and uses it to generate many Gauss-Bonnet formulas.

Recommendations

• The Gram-Sommerville and Gauss-Bonnet theorems and combinatorial geometric measures for noncompact polyhedra
• A discrete Gauss-Bonnet type theorem
• The angle defect for arbitrary polyhedra
• On combinatorial Gauss-Bonnet theorem for general Euclidean simplicial complexes
• An Euler relation for valuations on polytopes

Cites work

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• On combinatorial Gauss-Bonnet theorem for general Euclidean simplicial complexes
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• The angle defect for arbitrary polyhedra
• The Gram-Sommerville and Gauss-Bonnet theorems and combinatorial geometric measures for noncompact polyhedra
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Cited in

(14)

• The Gauss-Bonnet theorem for stationary random simplicial surfaces
• The Gram-Sommerville and Gauss-Bonnet theorems and combinatorial geometric measures for noncompact polyhedra
• The angle defect for arbitrary polyhedra
• An Euler relation for valuations on polytopes
• Critical points and the angle defect
• On combinatorial Gauss-Bonnet theorem for general Euclidean simplicial complexes
• The Gauss-Bonnet formula of polytopal manifolds and the characterization of embedded graphs with nonnegative curvature
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3955930 (Why is no real title available?)
• Polyhedron Theorems for Non-Smooth Cell Complexes
• A discrete Gauss-Bonnet type theorem
• Pseudo-Angle Systems and the Simplicial Gauss–Bonnet–Chern Theorem
• The Discrete Theorema Egregium
• Fan valuations and spherical intrinsic volumes
• Generalized angle vectors, geometric lattices, and flag-angles

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