A fundamental differential system of 3-dimensional Riemannian geometry

Abstract

We briefly recall a fundamental exterior differential system introduced by the author and then apply it to the case of three dimensions. Here we find new global tensors and intrinsic invariants of oriented Riemaniann 3-manifolds. The system leads to a remarkable Weingarten type equation for surfaces on hyperbolic 3-space. An independent proof for low dimensions of the structural equations gives new insight on the intrinsic exterior differential system.