Curvature and the Shape Operator

Localized Curvature of a Surface

This interactive demo shows a plot of the surface z = sin(x)cos(y) with x and y from -3 to 3.

Use the sliders to manipulate the position of the normal vector and see the current curvature at a point. Note that this demo displays the upward- pointing normal vector because it is easier to see. Be sure to keep track of when the curvature is positive, negative, and zero.

In addition, the following controls are available to manipulate the image:

X:
Y:

Curvature at (, , ):

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