Geometric characterizations of canal hypersurfaces in Euclidean spaces

Abstract

In the present paper, firstly we obtain the general expression of canal hypersurfaces in Euclidean n-space and deal with canal hypersurfaces in Euclidean 4-space E4. We compute Gauss map, Gaussian curvature and mean curvature of canal hypersurfaces in E4 and obtain an important relation between the mean and Gaussian curvatures as 3H rho = K rho 3 - 2. We prove that, the flat canal hypersurfaces in Euclidean 4-space are only circular hypercylinders or circular hypercones and minimal canal hypersurfaces are only generalized catenoids. Also, we state the expression of tubular hypersurfaces in Euclidean spaces and give some results about Weingarten tubular hypersurfaces in E4.