Three definitions of surface in space.

(1) Graph / Explicit form :

z = f (x, y), where (x, y) is in a region R in xy-plane.
(2) Level Surface/ Implicit form:
F (x, y, z) = 0 for some differentiable function F defined in space.
(3) Parametrized surfaces:
r(u, v) = ( x(u, v), y(u, v), z(u, v) ), where (u, v) is in a region R in uv-plane.
Examples:
(1) A (double) cone can be given as a level surface z 2 = x2 + y 2 .
(2) The p (single) cone can be given by the graph of function
z = x2 + y 2 , where (x, y) lies in the xy-plane.
(3) The (single) cone can be realized as a parametrized surface as follows: r(u, v) = ( u, v, u2 + v 2 ),
where (u, v) plays the same role as (x, y).
Examples:
(1) A (standard) sphere is generally expressed as a level surface given by x2 + y 2 + z 2 = a2 .
(2) The p upper hemisphere can be given by as a graph
z = a2 x2 y 2 , where (x, y) lies in the circular disc of radius a in xy-plane.
(3) A sphere can be surprisingly parametrized as
r( , ) = ( a sin cos , a sin sin , a cos ), where
( , ) [0, ] [0, 2].
Different Expressions of Surface Area Element

For level surface S : f (x, y, z) = 0, we can project the level surface onto the coordinate
planes, in this way, then one can compare the surface area element d of S with the one in
the chosen coordinate plane dA. Then we have the following formula:
|f |
d = dxdy
|f k|
|f |
= dxdz
|f j|
|f |
= dydz
|f i|
If surface S is given as a graph of a function z = z(x, y) then the surface area element d
can be expressed as follows:
q
d = 1 + (zx )2 + (zy )2 dxdy
s  2  2
z z
= 1+ + dxdy.
x x
If surface S is given a parametric surface r(u, v) = ( x(u, v), y(u, v), z(u, v) ), then we have
d = |ru rv | dudv,
where
ru = ( xu (u, v), yu (u, v), zu (u, v) )
rv = ( xv (u, v), yv (u, v), zv (u, v) )
Equivalence of the formulae of surface area elements
Suppose that z = z(x, y) is defined implicitly by means of level surface S : f (x, y, z) = 0. Then
with the help of implicit differentiation, we know that
fx fy
zx = , zy = .
fz fz
1
2

Then
q
d = 1 + (zx )2 + (zy )2 dxdy
s  2  2
fx fy
= 1+ + dxdy
fz fz
p 2
fx + fy2 + fz2
= dxdy
|fz |
|f |
= dxdy.
|f k|
Examples
Find the surface area of the cone S of height a and base radius a.
Solution. As S can be expressed in three different ways:
p
(1) (Graph). The cone S can be thought as a graph of z = x2 + y 2 where (x, y) lies inside
x y
the circular disk D of radius a in xy-plane. In this case zx = p , zy = p .
x2 + y 2 x2 + y 2
Then the surface area element can be expressed as
q
d = 1 + zx2 + zy2 dxdy
s
x2 y2
= 1+ 2 + dxdy = 2 dxdy
x + y 2 x2 + y 2
So the surface area of S is given by
ZZ ZZ q
1d = 1 + zx2 + zy2 dxdy
S
Z ZD
= 2 dxdy = 2Area of D = 2a2 .
D

(2) (Level surface). Let f (x, y, z) = z 2 x2 y 2 . One can think of the cone S as part of
the (double) cone K given by the level surface f (x, y, z) = z 2 x2 + y 2 = 0, without any
conditions on the variables x, y, z.
One can project the cone K onto xy-plane, we its shadow of the part S is also given by
the region R = { (x, y) | x2 + y 2 a2 }. This is due to the height constraint 0 z a, so
we have 0 x2 + y 2 a2 .
f = ( 2x, 2y, 2z ),
p p
|f | = 2 x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 2 2(x2 + y 2 )
p
|f k| = |2z| = 2 x2 + y 2 .
Then the surface area element is given by

p
|f | 2 2(x2 + y 2 )
d = dxdy = p dxdy = 2 dxdy
f k 2 x2 + y 2
Then the surface area of S is given by
|f |
ZZ ZZ
d = dxdy
S R f k
ZZ
= 2 dxdy = 2Area of R = 2a2
R

(3) (Parametric form). The (single) cone S can be given in the following parametric form:
r(r, ) = ( r cos , r sin , r ),
 3
p
where 0 r a, 0 . This can be obtained by means of simplifying z = x2 + y 2 in
cylindrical coordinates. Then we have
rr = ( xr (r, ), yr (r, ), zu (r, ) ) = ( cos , sin , 1 ),
rv = ( x (r, ), y (r, ), z (r, ) ) = ( r sin , r cos , 0).
 
 i j k 
 
r(r, ) z (r, ) =  cos sin 1  = ( r cos , r sin , r ).
r sin r cos 0 

d = |r(r, ) z (r, ) )| drd = r2 + r2 = r 2drd.
The surface area of S in term of double integral over the region T = { (r, ) | 0 r a, 0
} in r-plane, given by
Surface
ZZ area
Z Z of S
= d = = |r(r, ) z (r, ) )| drd
S R
ZZ Z 2 Z a
= r 2drd = r 2drd = 2a2 .
T 0 0

Remark. It is important to identify the region T of the parameters from the given surface
S properly.
In the following, we discuss the sphere.
Example. Show that the surface area of a sphere S of radius a is 4a2 .
Solution. We express the sphere S in following parametric form
r(, ) = ( a sin cos , a sin sin , a cos ), 0 , 0 .

 

 i j k 

r r =  a cos cos a cos sin a sin 

a sin sin a sin cos 0 
= ( a sin2 cos , a2 sin2 sin , a2 sin cos (sin2 + cos2 ) )
= ( a sin2 cos , a2 sin2 sin , a2 sin cos ).
Hence, we have the surface area element is given by
d = |r r | dd
q
2
= a sin4 (cos2 + sin2 ) + sin2 cos2 dd
q
2
= a sin2 (cos2 + sin2 ) dd

= a2 sin dd.
Then the surface area of (whole) sphere S is given by
ZZ Z 2 Z
1 d = |r r | dd
S =0 =0
Z 2 Z
= a2 sin dd = 4a2 .
=0 =0
Homework. A torus of revolution is the surface S obtained by rotating a circle C in the xzplane
about z-axis in space. If the radius of C is r > 0 and the center is (R, 0, 0), then S can be
parameterized as follows:r(u, v) = ( (R+r cos u) cos v, (R+r cos u) sin v, r sin u ), where 0 u 2,
and 0 v 2. Show the surface area of the torus is equal to 4 2 Rr.