Annals of the University of Craiova, Mathematics and Computer Science Series

Volume 37(4), 2010, Pages 9398

ISSN: 1223-6934

On some 1,3 H3 - helicoidal surfaces and their parallel surfaces

at a certain distance in 3 - dimensional Minkowski space

Alina-Mihaela Patriciu

Abstract. The surface obtained by rotating a curve from the plane (1 3 ) around the space-
like axis 3 , where 1 = (1, 0, 0) and 3 = (0, 0, 1), and simultaneously translating it along that
axis is called 1,3 H3 - helicoidal surface. Let S and S e be two surfaces and let be a constant
positive real number. S and S e are parallel at distance if for each point Pe S e we have
Pe(u, v) = P (u, v) + n(u, v), where n is the unit normal vector field on S. In this paper we
find some properties of some linear 1,3 H3 - helicoidal surfaces and of their parallel surfaces in
3 - dimensional Minkowski space R31 .

2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 53B30; Secondary 53A35.

Key words and phrases. Minkowski space, helicoidal surface, parallel surface.

1. Introduction

Let R3 be a 3 - dimensional real vector space.

Definition 1.1. The 3 - dimensional Minkowski space is the pair R3 , h, i1 , denoted
R31 , where the pseudo - inner product h, i1 is given by
hx, yi1 = xt y
where x = (x1 , x2 , x3 ), y = (y1 , y2 , y3 ) and = diag(1, 1, 1).
Let {1 = (1, 0, 0), 2 = (0, 1, 0), 3 = (0, 0, 1)} be an orthonormal base of R31 ,
(u) = (a(u), 0, u) a curve from the plane 1 3 and (v) = (0, 0, b(v)) an arbitrary
vector. If we rotate the curve around the spacelike axis 3 and simultaneously trans-
lating it, we obtain the surface of equation:
X(u, v) = (a(u) cosh v, a(u) sinh v, u + b(v)), (1)
which we have called in [3], 1,3 H3 - helicoidal surface.
In terms of a local parametrization P (u, v) = X(u, v) of surface S, the coefficients
{E, F, G} of the first and {L, M, N } of the second fundamental forms of surface S,
are given by
E = hXu , Xu i1 , F = hXu , Xv i1 , G = hXv , Xv i1 , (2)
L = hnu , Xu i1 , M = hnu , Xv i1 = hnv , Xu i1 , N = hnv , Xv i1 . (3)
Definition 1.2. A surface on which the Gaussian curvature is everywhere positive
(negative) is called synclastic (respectively, anticlastic).

Received August 27, 2010. Revision received November 24, 2010.

The author thanks the anonymous referees for their useful, valuable and well - aimed remarks.

93
94 A.-M. PATRICIU

Definition 1.3. Let S be an orientable surface and let n be the unit normal vector
field of S. The surface Se is parallel to S at distance if the points Pe(u, v) Se are
defined by
Pe(u, v) = P (u, v) + n(u, v)
where is a constant positive real number.
In [4] we have proved:
Theorem 1.1. Let S be a spacelike orientable surface with Gaussian curvature K and
mean curvature H and let be a real positive constant such that 1 2H 2 K 6= 0.
e and H
Then, the curvatures K e of the surface Se parallel to S at distance are given
by:
e = K e = H + K
K and H (4)
1 2H 2 K 1 2H 2 K
Theorem 1.2. Let S be a timelike orientable surface with Gaussian curvature K and
mean curvature H and let be a real positive constant such that 1 2H + 2 K 6= 0.
e and H
Then, the curvatures K e of the surface Se parallel to S at distance are given
by:
e = K e = H K
K and H (5)
1 2H + 2 K 1 2H + 2 K

1,3
2. Some H3 - helicoidal surfaces and their parallel surfaces in R31

1,3
For the H3 - helicoidal surface given by (1) we have
Xu = (a0 (u) cosh v, a0 (u) sinh v, 1) (6)
Xv = (a(u) sinh v, a(u) cosh v, b0 (v)) (7)
and so

e1 e2 e3

Xu Xv = a0 (u) cosh v a0 (u) sinh v 1

a(u) sinh v a(u) cosh v b0 (v)
= (a(u) cosh v a0 (u)b0 (v) sinh v, a(u) sinh v a0 (u)b0 (v) cosh v, a(u)a0 (u)),
p
kXu Xv k = (a02 (u) 1)a2 (u) + a02 (u)b02 (v).
We will study only the case:
() a02 (u) = 1
where a(u) and b(v) are linear functions.
In the first case:
() a0 (u) = 1 (a(u) = u + B, b(v) = Cv + D),
we have successively:
Xu = (cosh v, sinh v, 1),
Xv = ((u + B) sinh v, (u + B) cosh v, C),

e1 e2 e3

Xu Xv = cosh v sinh v 1
(u + B) sinh v (u + B) cosh v C
= ((u + B) cosh v C sinh v, (u + B) sinh v C sinh v, u + B)
and
kXu Xv k = C, (8)
 1,3
H3 - HELICOIDAL SURFACES AND THEIR PARALLEL SURFACES IN R31 95

from where, the unit normal vector field of this surface is:

u+B u+B u+B
n(u, v) = cosh v sinh v, sinh v cosh v, (9)
C C C
Thus:
cosh v sinh v 1
nu = , , (10)
C C C

u+B u+B
nv = sinh v cosh v, cosh v sinh v, 0 (11)
C C
and the coefficients of the first fundamental form are:
E = 0, F = C, G = (u + B)2 + C 2 (12)
and those of the second fundamental form are:
u(u B sinh v)
L = 0, M = 1, N = . (13)
B cosh v

Since
(u + B)2 (u + B)2
hn, ni1 = +1+ =1
C C
it follows that n is spacelike and so S is timelike. Using the formulas
LN M 2 1 EN 2F M + GL
K= ,H = (14)
EG F 2 2 EG F 2
for the Gaussian and mean curvature of surface Swe have:
1 1
K= = 2 >0 (15)
C 2 C
1 2C 1
H= = (16)
2 C 2 C
1,3
From here, the first property of a H1 -helicoidal surface:
1,3
Proposition 2.1. In the conditions (), any H3 - helicoidal surface is umbilical
and synclastic.
Proof. Obviously, from (15) and (16), it follows H 2 = K and K > 0, which end the
proof.

Using the definition of the parallel surface we obtain for the parallel surface to S
e v) = (e
at distance the equations X(u, x(u, v), ye(u, v), ze(u, v)), where:

u+B

x
e (u, v) = (u + B) cosh v + cosh v sinh v


C
u+B (17)
y
e (u, v) = (u + B) sinh v + sinh v cosh v

C

ze(u, v) = u + Cv + D + u + B

C
We can compute the Gaussian curvature and the mean curvature of this surface
making similar computations as above, but, for simplicity, we will use Theorem 1.2
96 A.-M. PATRICIU

and we get:
1
e = K C2
K =
1 2H + 2 K 1 1
1 + 2 + 2 2
C C
1
2 1
= 2 C = 2
C + 2C + 2 C + 2C + 2
C2
from where:
e = 1
K (18)
(C + )2
and
1 1
H K 2
e =
H = C C
1 2H + 2 K 1 1
1 + 2 + 2 2
C C
(C + )
= ,
C2+ 2C + 2
so
e = 1
H (19)
C +
From here, the second property of this surface is:
Proposition 2.2. The parallel surface to a 1,3 H3 - helicoidal surface, in conditions
(), at any distance with 1 2H + 2 K 6= 0 is umbilical and synclastic.
e2 K
Proof. H e = 0, for every , so, Se is umbilical and K
e > 0, so Se is synclastic.
For the case
( ) a0 (u) = 1 (a(u) = u + B, b(v) = Cv + D),
we have:
X = ((u + B) cosh v, (u + B) sinh v, u + Cv + D),
Xu = ( cosh v, sinh v, 1),
Xv = ((u + B) sinh v, (u + B) cosh v, C),

e1 e2 e3

Xu Xv = cosh v sinh v 1 ,
(u + B) sinh v (u + B) cosh v C
from where
Xu Xv = (C sinh v + (u + B) cosh v, C cosh v + (u + B) sinh v, (u + B)) ,
(20)
kXu Xv k = C, (21)

u + B u + B u + B
n(u, v) = sinh v + cosh v, cosh v + sinh v, (22)
C C C

1 1 1
nu = cosh v, sinh v, (23)
C C C

u + B u + B
nv = cosh v + sinh v, sinh v + cosh v, 0 (24)
C C
E = 0, F = C, G = C 2 + (u + B)2 (25)
 1,3
H3 - HELICOIDAL SURFACES AND THEIR PARALLEL SURFACES IN R31 97

(u + B)2
L = 0, M = 1, N = (26)
C

hn, ni1 = 1 > 0, (27)

so S is timelike.
Using (14) we get:
1 1
K= 2
= 2 >0 (28)
C C

1 2C 1
H= 2
= (29)
2 C C
and, thus
1,3
Proposition 2.3. Any H3 - helicoidal surface in conditions ( ) is umbilical and
synclastic.

The proof is similar to the proof of Proposition 2.2, and thus, is omitted.
e v) =
The parallel surface to this surface at distance will have the equations X(u,
(e
x(u, v), ye(u, v), ze(u, v)) where:

u + B

xe(u, v) = (u + B) cosh v + sinh v + cosh v

C

u + B (30)
ye(u, v) = (u + B) sinh v + cosh v + sinh v

C

ze(u, v) = u + Cv + D u + B

C

1 1
e = K C 2 C2
K = =
1 2H + 2 K 1 1 (C + )2
1 + 2 + 2 2
C C C2
1 1 C +
H K 2 2
e
H= = C C = C 2
2
1 2H + K 1 1 (C + )
1 + 2 + 2 2
C C C2
thus,
e = 1 e = 1 ,
K 2
,H
(C + ) C +
so, obviously,

Proposition 2.4. The parallel surface to a 1,3 H3 - helicoidal surface, given by (30),
at any distance with 1 2H + 2 K 6= 0 is umbilical..

From the positivity of the Gaussian curvature of each of these surfaces we have

Proposition 2.5. Any 1,3 H3 - helicoidal surface and any parallel surface to it at any
distance is synclastic.
98 A.-M. PATRICIU

References

[1] N.J. Hicks, Notes on Differential Geometry, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York, 1965.
[2] W. Kuhnel, Differential Geometry. Curves Surfaces Manifolds, Student Mathematical Li-
brary 16 (2002).
[3] A.-M. Patriciu, Some minimal helicoidal surfaces in Minkowski space R31 , submitted.
[4] A.-M. Patriciu, Parallel surfaces in 3-dimensional Minkowski space R31 , submitted.
[5] K. Toyama, Self - parallel Constant Mean Curvature Surfaces, Electronic Geometry Model No.
2002.03.003, no pag., electronic only.

(Alina-Mihaela Patriciu) Department of Mathematics and Informatics, Faculty of Sciences,

University Vasile Alecsandri of Baca u, 157 Calea Ma
ra
sesti, Baca
u, 600115, Romania
E-mail address: alina.patriciu@ub.ro