Generalisation of elementary result for embedded surfaces

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If we have a triangle $T$ in $mathbbR^3$ and we consider the 3 canonical projections
$$pi_xy(x,y,z)=(x,y)$$
$$pi_xz(x,y,z)=(x,z)$$
$$pi_yz(x,y,z)=(y,z)$$
Then we have a pythagoras-type relation for the area of the triangle with respect to its projections $T_xy=pi_xy(T)$,
$T_xz=pi_xz(T)$ and $T_yz=pi_yz(T)$, as follows:



$$A(T)=A(T_xy)^2+A(T_xz)^2+A(T_yz)^2$$
In fact, this is actually the pythagorean theorem when considering bivectors, but this is irrelevant for the question. The fact is that this result still holds true when considering other parallelepipeds apart from triangles. My question is: is this result true for embedded surfaces $ShookrightarrowmathbbR^3$? or, if it is not true in this sense, is there any kind of generalization?. I think the framework of differential forms should have something to say. I am really interested in the general case, specially when considering seifert surfaces of knots. Thanks in advance.







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    If we have a triangle $T$ in $mathbbR^3$ and we consider the 3 canonical projections
    $$pi_xy(x,y,z)=(x,y)$$
    $$pi_xz(x,y,z)=(x,z)$$
    $$pi_yz(x,y,z)=(y,z)$$
    Then we have a pythagoras-type relation for the area of the triangle with respect to its projections $T_xy=pi_xy(T)$,
    $T_xz=pi_xz(T)$ and $T_yz=pi_yz(T)$, as follows:



    $$A(T)=A(T_xy)^2+A(T_xz)^2+A(T_yz)^2$$
    In fact, this is actually the pythagorean theorem when considering bivectors, but this is irrelevant for the question. The fact is that this result still holds true when considering other parallelepipeds apart from triangles. My question is: is this result true for embedded surfaces $ShookrightarrowmathbbR^3$? or, if it is not true in this sense, is there any kind of generalization?. I think the framework of differential forms should have something to say. I am really interested in the general case, specially when considering seifert surfaces of knots. Thanks in advance.







    share|cite|improve this question





















      up vote
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      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
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      down vote

      favorite











      If we have a triangle $T$ in $mathbbR^3$ and we consider the 3 canonical projections
      $$pi_xy(x,y,z)=(x,y)$$
      $$pi_xz(x,y,z)=(x,z)$$
      $$pi_yz(x,y,z)=(y,z)$$
      Then we have a pythagoras-type relation for the area of the triangle with respect to its projections $T_xy=pi_xy(T)$,
      $T_xz=pi_xz(T)$ and $T_yz=pi_yz(T)$, as follows:



      $$A(T)=A(T_xy)^2+A(T_xz)^2+A(T_yz)^2$$
      In fact, this is actually the pythagorean theorem when considering bivectors, but this is irrelevant for the question. The fact is that this result still holds true when considering other parallelepipeds apart from triangles. My question is: is this result true for embedded surfaces $ShookrightarrowmathbbR^3$? or, if it is not true in this sense, is there any kind of generalization?. I think the framework of differential forms should have something to say. I am really interested in the general case, specially when considering seifert surfaces of knots. Thanks in advance.







      share|cite|improve this question











      If we have a triangle $T$ in $mathbbR^3$ and we consider the 3 canonical projections
      $$pi_xy(x,y,z)=(x,y)$$
      $$pi_xz(x,y,z)=(x,z)$$
      $$pi_yz(x,y,z)=(y,z)$$
      Then we have a pythagoras-type relation for the area of the triangle with respect to its projections $T_xy=pi_xy(T)$,
      $T_xz=pi_xz(T)$ and $T_yz=pi_yz(T)$, as follows:



      $$A(T)=A(T_xy)^2+A(T_xz)^2+A(T_yz)^2$$
      In fact, this is actually the pythagorean theorem when considering bivectors, but this is irrelevant for the question. The fact is that this result still holds true when considering other parallelepipeds apart from triangles. My question is: is this result true for embedded surfaces $ShookrightarrowmathbbR^3$? or, if it is not true in this sense, is there any kind of generalization?. I think the framework of differential forms should have something to say. I am really interested in the general case, specially when considering seifert surfaces of knots. Thanks in advance.









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      asked 2 days ago









      galois1989

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          If you have a surface like a portion of the "drop wave function", then by increasing the number of waves you can make the surface area as large as you want while keeping the areas of the three projections constant. So, under my interpretation of your question of whether it holds for embedded surfaces, "no."



          But, if you approximate the surface with a triangulation, then you can project each triangle individually, use the Pythagorean-type equation, and add up all the results. If you take the limit of finer and finer triangulations, it converges to the true surface area.



          This is similar to using differential forms to compute the area of a surface in $mathbbR^3$. If you take the standard volume form $dxwedge dywedge dz$, you can specialize it to the surface by using the surface's normal vector field to partially evaluate the $3$-form to get a $2$-form. This $2$-form is in some way tangent to the surface, and one can imagine that it covers the surface in infinitesimal parallelograms, whose total area is that of the surface. $2$-forms and bivectors are related. The $2$-form can be written in terms of the basis $dxwedge dy$, $dxwedge dz$, $dywedge dx$, which correspond to the three projections you give.



          Anyway, the point of this impressionistic account of differential forms is to suggest that they do have something to say about surface area of embedded surfaces.






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          • Yes, good observation that wave-type foldings increase total area but projected areas remain constant. Thanks!!
            – galois1989
            2 days ago










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          If you have a surface like a portion of the "drop wave function", then by increasing the number of waves you can make the surface area as large as you want while keeping the areas of the three projections constant. So, under my interpretation of your question of whether it holds for embedded surfaces, "no."



          But, if you approximate the surface with a triangulation, then you can project each triangle individually, use the Pythagorean-type equation, and add up all the results. If you take the limit of finer and finer triangulations, it converges to the true surface area.



          This is similar to using differential forms to compute the area of a surface in $mathbbR^3$. If you take the standard volume form $dxwedge dywedge dz$, you can specialize it to the surface by using the surface's normal vector field to partially evaluate the $3$-form to get a $2$-form. This $2$-form is in some way tangent to the surface, and one can imagine that it covers the surface in infinitesimal parallelograms, whose total area is that of the surface. $2$-forms and bivectors are related. The $2$-form can be written in terms of the basis $dxwedge dy$, $dxwedge dz$, $dywedge dx$, which correspond to the three projections you give.



          Anyway, the point of this impressionistic account of differential forms is to suggest that they do have something to say about surface area of embedded surfaces.






          share|cite|improve this answer





















          • Yes, good observation that wave-type foldings increase total area but projected areas remain constant. Thanks!!
            – galois1989
            2 days ago














          up vote
          1
          down vote



          accepted










          If you have a surface like a portion of the "drop wave function", then by increasing the number of waves you can make the surface area as large as you want while keeping the areas of the three projections constant. So, under my interpretation of your question of whether it holds for embedded surfaces, "no."



          But, if you approximate the surface with a triangulation, then you can project each triangle individually, use the Pythagorean-type equation, and add up all the results. If you take the limit of finer and finer triangulations, it converges to the true surface area.



          This is similar to using differential forms to compute the area of a surface in $mathbbR^3$. If you take the standard volume form $dxwedge dywedge dz$, you can specialize it to the surface by using the surface's normal vector field to partially evaluate the $3$-form to get a $2$-form. This $2$-form is in some way tangent to the surface, and one can imagine that it covers the surface in infinitesimal parallelograms, whose total area is that of the surface. $2$-forms and bivectors are related. The $2$-form can be written in terms of the basis $dxwedge dy$, $dxwedge dz$, $dywedge dx$, which correspond to the three projections you give.



          Anyway, the point of this impressionistic account of differential forms is to suggest that they do have something to say about surface area of embedded surfaces.






          share|cite|improve this answer





















          • Yes, good observation that wave-type foldings increase total area but projected areas remain constant. Thanks!!
            – galois1989
            2 days ago












          up vote
          1
          down vote



          accepted







          up vote
          1
          down vote



          accepted






          If you have a surface like a portion of the "drop wave function", then by increasing the number of waves you can make the surface area as large as you want while keeping the areas of the three projections constant. So, under my interpretation of your question of whether it holds for embedded surfaces, "no."



          But, if you approximate the surface with a triangulation, then you can project each triangle individually, use the Pythagorean-type equation, and add up all the results. If you take the limit of finer and finer triangulations, it converges to the true surface area.



          This is similar to using differential forms to compute the area of a surface in $mathbbR^3$. If you take the standard volume form $dxwedge dywedge dz$, you can specialize it to the surface by using the surface's normal vector field to partially evaluate the $3$-form to get a $2$-form. This $2$-form is in some way tangent to the surface, and one can imagine that it covers the surface in infinitesimal parallelograms, whose total area is that of the surface. $2$-forms and bivectors are related. The $2$-form can be written in terms of the basis $dxwedge dy$, $dxwedge dz$, $dywedge dx$, which correspond to the three projections you give.



          Anyway, the point of this impressionistic account of differential forms is to suggest that they do have something to say about surface area of embedded surfaces.






          share|cite|improve this answer













          If you have a surface like a portion of the "drop wave function", then by increasing the number of waves you can make the surface area as large as you want while keeping the areas of the three projections constant. So, under my interpretation of your question of whether it holds for embedded surfaces, "no."



          But, if you approximate the surface with a triangulation, then you can project each triangle individually, use the Pythagorean-type equation, and add up all the results. If you take the limit of finer and finer triangulations, it converges to the true surface area.



          This is similar to using differential forms to compute the area of a surface in $mathbbR^3$. If you take the standard volume form $dxwedge dywedge dz$, you can specialize it to the surface by using the surface's normal vector field to partially evaluate the $3$-form to get a $2$-form. This $2$-form is in some way tangent to the surface, and one can imagine that it covers the surface in infinitesimal parallelograms, whose total area is that of the surface. $2$-forms and bivectors are related. The $2$-form can be written in terms of the basis $dxwedge dy$, $dxwedge dz$, $dywedge dx$, which correspond to the three projections you give.



          Anyway, the point of this impressionistic account of differential forms is to suggest that they do have something to say about surface area of embedded surfaces.







          share|cite|improve this answer













          share|cite|improve this answer



          share|cite|improve this answer











          answered 2 days ago









          Kyle Miller

          6,704723




          6,704723











          • Yes, good observation that wave-type foldings increase total area but projected areas remain constant. Thanks!!
            – galois1989
            2 days ago
















          • Yes, good observation that wave-type foldings increase total area but projected areas remain constant. Thanks!!
            – galois1989
            2 days ago















          Yes, good observation that wave-type foldings increase total area but projected areas remain constant. Thanks!!
          – galois1989
          2 days ago




          Yes, good observation that wave-type foldings increase total area but projected areas remain constant. Thanks!!
          – galois1989
          2 days ago












           

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