An Innate Moving Frame on Parametric Surfaces: The Dynamics of Principal Singular Curves

Abstract

This article reports an experimental work that unveils some interesting yet unknown phenomena underneath all smooth nonlinear maps. The findings are based on the fact that, generalizing the conventional gradient dynamics, the right singular vectors of the Jacobian matrix of any differentiable map point in directions that are most pertinent to the infinitesimal deformation of the underlying function and that the singular values measure the rate of deformation in the corresponding directions. A continuous adaption of these singular vectors, therefore, constitutes a natural moving frame that carries indwelling information of the variation. This structure exists in any dimensional space, but the development of the fundamental theory and algorithm for surface exploration is an important first step for immediate application and further generalization. In this case, trajectories of these singular vectors, referred to as singular curves, unveil some intriguing patterns per the given function. At points where singular values coalesce, curious and complex behaviors occur, manifesting specific landmarks for the function. Upon analyzing the dynamics, it is discovered that there is a remarkably simple and universal structure underneath all smooth two-parameter maps. This work delineates graphs with this interesting dynamical system and the possible new discovery that, analogous to the double helix with two base parings in DNA, two strands of critical curves and eight base pairings could encode properties of a generic and arbitrary surface. This innate structure suggests that this approach could provide a unifying paradigm in functional genetics, where all smooth surfaces could be genome-sequenced and classified accordingly. Such a concept has sparked curiosity and warrants further investigation.