University of Cambridge > Talks.cam > Rouse Ball Lectures > The intrinsic allure of extrinsic curvature

The intrinsic allure of extrinsic curvature

Add to your list(s) Download to your calendar using vCal

If you have a question about this talk, please contact undergrad-office.

A 2D surface embedded in ordinary Euclidean 3-space carries an invariantly defined function that quantifies whether or not we can map it isometrically to the usual flat plane. This “intrinsic curvature” gets star billing in physics because its generalization to higher dimensions figures in the general theory of relativity. But a surface that is intrinsically flat may nevertheless be embedded in 3-space in a way that is clearly curved in the everyday sense. The “extrinsic curvature” needed to quantify this property has its own allure. For example, it appears in physical models appropriate for interfaces and fluid membranes. I’ll conclude by sketching some technological implications, both for biology and even in data science.

This talk is part of the Rouse Ball Lectures series.

Tell a friend about this talk:

This talk is included in these lists:

Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.

 

© 2006-2024 Talks.cam, University of Cambridge. Contact Us | Help and Documentation | Privacy and Publicity