THE DIFFERENTIAL GEOMETRY OF PARAMETRIC PRIMITIVES

Ken Turkowski
Media Technologies: Graphics Software
Advanced Technology Group
Apple Computer, Inc.
(Draft Friday, May 18, 1990)

Abstract: We derive the expressions for first and second

derivatives, normal, metric matrix and curvature matrix for
spheres, cones, cylinders, and tori.

26 January 1990

Apple Technical Report No. KT-23

Turkowski

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

26 January 1990

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

Ken Turkowski
26 January 1990

Differential Properties of Parametric Surfaces

A parametric surface is a function:
x = F(u)
where
x = [x

y z]

is a point in affine 3-space, and

u = [ u v]
is a point in affine 2-space.
The Jacobian matrix is a matrix of partial derivatives that relate changes in u and v to changes in
x, y, and z:
x y
( x,y,z) u u
J=
=
x y
(u,v)

v v

z x
u u
=
z
x

v v

The Hessian is a tensor of second partial derivatives:

2 x 2 y 2z
2x
2y
2z
2
2
2

2( x, y,z)
u u u
u v u v u v
H=
= 2
2
2
2 x 2 y 2z
( u, v) (u,v) x
y
z
2
2
2
vu vu vu
v v v

2x
2
u
= 2

x
vu

2x

uv

2x
v2

The first fundamental form is defined as:

x x
u u
t
G = JJ =
x x

v u
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x x

u v

x x

v v
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Turkowski

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

26 January 1990

and establishes a metric of differential length:

( dx) = ( du) G( du)

so that the arc length of a curve segment, u = u( t) , t0 < t < t1 is given by:
1

t1
t1
t1
ds
ut) 2dt
s = dt = x dt = x dt = (uG
t 0 dt
t0
t0
t0
t1

The differential surface area enclosed by the differential parallelogram ( u,v) is approximately:
1

S ( G ) 2 uv
so that the area of a region of the surface corresponding to a region R in the u-v plane is:
1

S = ( G ) dudv
2

The second fundamental matrix measures normal curvature, and is given by:

2x
2x
n
n

u2
u v

D = n H =
2
2x
n x
n 2
v
vu
The normal curvature is defined to be positive a curve u on the surface turns toward the positive
direction of the surface normal by:
Du
t
u
n =
u
t
uG
The deviation (in the normal direction) from the tangent plane of the surface, given a differential
is:
displacement of u
n = uD
u t
x

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Turkowski

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

26 January 1990

Reparametrization
If the parametrization of the surface is transformed by the equations:
u = u(u,v)

and

v = v( u,v)

then the chain rule yields:

( x,y,z)
( u, v)

( u,v) ( x,y,z)
( u, v) (u,v)

or
J = PJ
where
J =

( x, y,z)
(u , v)

is the new Jacobian matrix of the surface with respect to the new parameters u and v , and
u
( u,v) u
P=
=
(u , v) u
v

v
u

is the Jacobian matrix of the reparametrization.

The new Hessian is given by
H = PHP +QJ
T

where
(u, v)
u 2
Q=
( )
u, v
v u

(u,v)
u v

(u,v)
v 2 .

The new fundamental matrix is given by:

G = PGP

and the new curvature matrix is given by:

D = PDP

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Turkowski

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

26 January 1990

Change of Coordinates
For simplicity, we have defined several primitives with unit size, located at the origin. Related
to the reparametrization is the change of coordinates x = x ( x) , with associated Jacobian:
x

x x
C=
=
x y
x

y
x
y
y
y
z

z
y
z

When the change of coordinates is represented by the affine transformation:

xx
x
y
A=
x
z
x
o

yx zx
yy zy

yz zz
yo zo

the Jacobian is simply the submatrix:

xx yx zx

C = xy yy zy
xz yz zz
Regardless, the Jacobian and Hessian transform as follows:
J = JC, H = HC
The normal is transformed as:
n =

nC1 t
1

(nC 1t C 1nt) 2

The denominator arises from the desire to have a unit normal.

The first and second fundamental matrices are then calculated as:
G = J J = JCC J
t

D = H n =

( HC) ( nC 1 t)
1

HCC 1n t
1

H n
1

D
1

( nC1t C 1n t) 2 (nC 1t C 1nt) 2 (nC1 t C 1nt) 2 (nC1t C 1nt) 2

Not very pretty. But certain types of transformations can be applied easily. For a uniform scale
with arbitrary translations,
r 0 0

C= 0 r 0 =rI

0 0 r

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Turkowski

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

26 January 1990

so that
J = rJ, H = rH, n = n, G = r G, D = r D
2

For rotations (and arbitrary translations), the Jacobian matrix C=R is orthogonal, so the inverse
is equal to the transpose, yielding:
J = JR, H = HR, n = nR, G = G, D =D
Combining the two, we have the results for a transformation that includes translations, rotations
and uniform scale:
J = rJR, H = rHR, n = nR, G = r G, D = rD
2

or in terms of the composite matrix C = r R :

J = JC, H = HC, n =

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nC

G = ( C ) 3G, D = ( C ) 3 D
1,

( C)3

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Turkowski

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

26 January 1990

Sphere
Given the spherical coordinates:

[ x y z] = [ r sin cos

r sin sin

r cos ]

we have the Jacobian matrix:

y
= xz
( , ) x 2 + y2

x
yz

( x,y,z)

x 2 + y2

x +y

0
2

the Hessian tensor:

[ x y 0]
2
( x, y,z)

=
( , ) ( , )
yz
xz

2
2
2
2
x +y
x +y

yz
2
x + y2

xz
x2 + y2

[ x y z]

the first fundamental form:

x2 + y2 0
G=

r 2
0
the normal:
x
n=
r

y
r

z
r

and the second fundamental form:

x2 + y2

D=
r
0

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0
r

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Turkowski

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

26 January 1990

Unit Sphere
Angle Parametrization
Given the unit spherical coordinates with 0 < 2, 0 < , we parametrize the sphere:

[ x y z] = [sin cos

sin sin

cos ]

This yields the Jacobian matrix:

y
J = xz
2
2
x +y

x
yz

x +y

0
2

x2 + y2

the Hessian tensor:

[ x y 0]

H =

yz
xz

2
2
2
2
x +y
x +y

yz
2
x + y2

xz
x2 + y2

[ x y z]

the first fundamental form:

x2 + y2 0
G =

1
0
the normal:
n = [x

y z]

and the second fundamental form:

( x2 + y2) 0
D =

0
1

Angle Parametrization
With the reparametrization = 2 u, = v , we have the Jacobian:
2
P=
0

Applying the chain rule, we have:

2 y
Juv = xz
2
2
x +y

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2 x
yz

x2 + y2

x2 + y2

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Turkowski

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

4 2[ x y 0]

Huv =

xz
2 yz
2
2
2
2
x +y
x +y

yz
2
x2 + y2

26 January 1990

xz
x2 + y2

[ x y z]
2

4 2( x2 + y2) 0
Guv =
2

0

4 2( x 2 + y2) 0
Duv =
2

0

Changing coordinates to yield a sphere of arbitrary radius, we find that the expressions for the
Jacobian, the Hessian, and the metric matrix remain the same, because x, y, and z scale linearly
with r. The curvature matrix changes to:
4 2( x2 + y2)
Duv =
r

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2r

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Turkowski

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

26 January 1990

Cone
Angle Parametrization
Given the unit conical parametrization:

[ x y z] = [ zcos

zsin

z]

we have the Jacobian matrix:

y x 0
J z = x y
1
z z

the Hessian tensor:

y x
[ x y 0] z z 0
H z =

y x

0
0
0
0
[
]

z z

the first fundamental form:

x2 + y2
G z =
0

2
0
z 0
x2 + y2 + z2 =

0 2
2

the normal:
x
n z =
z 2

y
z 2

1
2

and the second fundamental form:

z

D z = 2
0

0
0

Unit Parametrization
For the parametrization:

[ x y z] = [ rvcos2 u rv sin2 u vh]

we have:
2 y 2 x 0
hy

Juv = hx
h
rz

rz
2
4 [ x y 0]

Huv =
2 h
[ y x 0]

rz
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2 h

[ y x 0]
rz

[ 0 0 0]
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Turkowski

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

4 2( x2 + y2)

Guv =

nuv =

h2x

1+ h2 rz
1

4 2 rz

Duv = 1 + h2

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26 January 1990

2
2
2
2
h(x + y + z)

z2
0

h2y
rz

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Turkowski

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

26 January 1990

Cylinder
Angle Parametrization
Given the cylindrical parametrization:

[ x y z] = [ cos

z]

sin

we have the Jacobian matrix:

y x 0
J =

0 0 1
the Hessian tensor:
[ x y 0] [ 0 0 0]
H =

[ 0 0 0]
[0 0 0]
the first fundamental form:
1 0
G =

0 1
the normal:
n = [x

y 0]

and the second fundamental form:

1 0
D =

0 0

Unit Parametrization
With the parametrization:

[ x y z] = [ r cos2 u r sin2 u hv]

we have the Jacobian matrix:
2 y 2 x 0
Juv =
0
h
0
the Hessian tensor:
[ 4 2 x 4 2y 0] [0 0 0]
Huv =

[0 0 0]
[0 0 0]

the first fundamental form:

4 2 r 2 0
Guv =

h2
0
the normal:
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Turkowski

x
n=
r

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

y
r

26 January 1990

and the second fundamental form:

4 2r
Duv =
0

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Turkowski

The Differential Geometry of Parametric Primitives

26 January 1990

Torus
Angle Parametrization
Given the torus parametrization:

[ x y z] = [ (R + r cos ) cos (R + r cos ) sin r sin ]

we have the Jacobian matrix:
y

J = xz

2
2
x +y

x2 + y2 R

x
yz

x2 + y2

the Hessian tensor:

[ x y 0]

H =

xz
yz
2 2
2
2

x +y
x + y

yz

xz

2
2
x2 + y2
x +y

R
R

0 x 1 2

z
2
2
2
x +y
x +y

the first fundamental form:

x2 + y2 0
G =

r 2
0
the normal:
R

1 2
2
x +y

n= x
r

1
y

R
x +y
2

and the second fundamental form:

x2 + y2

1 2
0

2
=
r
x +y

0
r
R2 x 2 y2 + z2 r 2
=
2r
0

0
r

using the toruss implicit equation:

x + y R +z = r
2

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