Why is the half-torus rigid?
The half-torus surface that results from slicing a torus like a bagel, depicted below (left), is isometrically rigid. I know this from a remark of Alexandrov in Mathematics: Its Content, Methods and Meaning (Chapter 7. Curves and surfaces, p.101): For example, it has been shown that a surface in the form of a circular trough (...), does not admit continuous deformations (this explains, among other things, the familiar fact that a pail with a curved rim is considerably stronger than one with a plain rim) ... He gives no hint of a proof, nor a reference. Could someone supply either? I would like to understand this enough to generalize to, e.g., the bottom quarter of a torus (above, right), or to cross-sections or sweep curves other than circles (ellipses, smooth convex curves, ...). Are there general conditions known for a surface in $\mathbb{R}^3$ with boundary to be isometrically rigid, i.e., to admit no continuous deformation that "preserves the length of all curves on the surface" (to quote Alexandrov's definition)?
Take Your Experience to the Next Level
NewDownload our mobile app for a faster and better experience.
Comments
0U
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment