Questions tagged [riemannian-geometry]

For questions about Riemann geometry, which is a branch of differential geometry dealing with Riemannian manifolds.

Introduction

Metaphorically, Riemannian geometry is what happens when we try to generalize the Pythagorean theorem to work on smooth manifolds in general, but accidently drop the Pythagorean theorem in a blender along the way.

Definition 1.1a: (Riemannian Metric) Suppose $M$ is a smooth manifold. A Riemannian metric on $M$ is a section $\mathrm{g}\in\Gamma(T^\vee\hspace{-.25em}M\otimes T^\vee\hspace{-.25em}M)$ such that, for each $p\in M$ and all $X_p,Y_p\in T_pM$,

  • $\mathrm{g}_p(X_p\otimes Y_p)=\mathrm{g}_p(Y_p\otimes X_p)$,

  • $\mathrm{g}_p(X_p\otimes X_p)\geq0$, with equality if and only if $X_p=0$.

Note that many mathematicians use the following equivalent definition.

Definition 1.1b: (Riemannian Metric) Suppose $M$ is a smooth manifold. A Riemannian metric is a smooth function $\mathrm{g}:TM\times_MTM\to\mathbb{R}$, where $TM\times_MTM$ is the fiber product, such that, for each $p\in M$, all $X_p,Y_p,Z_p\in T_pM$, and all $a,b\in\mathbb{R}$,

  • $\mathrm{g}(aX_p+bY_p,Z_p)=a\mathrm{g}(X_p,Z_p)+b\mathrm{g}(Y_p,Z_p)$,
  • $\mathrm{g}(X_p,Y_p)=\mathrm{g}(Y_p,X_p)$,
  • $\mathrm{g}(X_p,X_p)\geq0$, with equality if and only if $X_p=0$.

Regardless of the particulars of the definition, a Riemannian metric is essentially a smooth choice of inner product on each tangent space. Making a choice of Riemannian metric gives us a Riemannian manifold.

Definition 1.2: (Riemannian Manifold) A Riemannian manifold is a pair $(M,\mathrm{g})$, where $M$ is a smooth manifold and $\mathrm{g}$ is a Riemannian metric.

There is a plethora of examples of Riemannian manifolds that appear all over geometry.

Example 1.3: (Euclidean Space) Let $x$ be the (global) identity chart on $\mathbb{R}^n$. A Euclidean space is a Riemannian manifold of the form $$\left(\mathbb{R}^n,\sum_{i=1}^n\mathrm{d}x^i\otimes\mathrm{d}x^i\right).$$ Usually, we identify $n$-dimensional Euclidean space with $\mathbb{R}^n$.

Example 1.4: (Hyperbolic Plane) Let $(x,y)$ be the (global) identity chart on the upper half plane. Then, the hyperbolic plane is the Riemannian manifold $$H^2=\left(\mathbb{R}\times\mathbb{R}_+,\frac{1}{y^2}\left(\mathrm{d}x\otimes\mathrm{d}x+\mathrm{d}y\otimes\mathrm{d}y\right)\right).$$

This tag is for questions about Riemann geometry, which is a branch of differential geometry dealing with Riemannian manifolds. Usually, Riemannian geometry focuses on the notions of distance, curvature, and shape. Consider using this tag if your question involves Riemannian manifolds or objects generally associated with them, such as Levi-Civita connections.

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Consequences of Hopf-Rinow Theorem

So the Hopf-Rinow theorem tells us that if we have a connected Riemannian manifold then it is equivalent saying that $M$ is geodesically complete and $(M,d)$ is a complete metric space, where $d(p,q)$ is the infimum of the lenght of all curves…
Someone
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Calculating the Riemann Tensor

So im trying to calculate the riemann tensor for $S^2$ for the metric $ds^2= d\theta ^2 +sin\theta ^2 d\phi$ and i have already calculated the Chrystoffel Symbols using the Euler-Lagrange Equations, my question is if there is any easier way or less…
Someone
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Covariant derivative of the volume form on a 2-sphere

Consider the unit 2-sphere with its canonical metric $g_{\theta \theta} = 1$, $g_{\phi \phi} = \sin(\theta)$ and $g_{\theta \phi} = g_{\phi \theta} = 0$, the associated Levi-Civita connection has Christoffel symbols : $\Gamma^{\theta}_{\phi \phi} =…
Julien
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Riemannian norm, distance and exponential map

I need to show that for every $p\in M$ and $v,w \in TpM$, we have $$ \lim_{t\rightarrow \infty } \frac{d_{g}(\exp_{p}(tv),\exp_{p}(tw))}{t}=|v-w|_{g}$$ is a problem of the book "introduction to Riemannian Manifolds"" by J.M.Lee and he gives a…
Kevin
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What is $\nabla_{\gamma'_t}\gamma_t'$ equal to? An attempt

Is it correct? Let $\gamma_t$ be a smooth curve on a Riemannian mfd. Then $\nabla_{\gamma'_t}\gamma_t'=\gamma''_t+(\gamma_t^i)'(\gamma_t^j)'\Gamma_{ij}^k\partial_k$?
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Is this a mistake in Do Carmo's Riemannian geometry?

Tell me if I'm wrong but the following expression from Do Carmo's Riemannian geometry (p.198) can't be correct right? (here $[\partial_s, \partial_t] = 0$ and $f$ is a variation which you can think of as a map from two dimensional manifold with…
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Relation between the squared norms of the second fundamental form of a warped manifold and its hypersurface.

I'm reading this paper and I'm stuck in the lemma $3.2$ on page $5$. The author stated on the proof that From [16] we have that $$|\tilde{A}|^2 = |A|^2 + \kappa^2,$$ where the $\kappa = - \tilde{g}(\tilde{\nu},\overrightarrow{H}_{[x]})$ is the…
George
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Product rule for matrices, think of them as vectors or not?

I am having difficulties interpreting an equality in a couple of lecture notes(http://www.matematik.lu.se/matematiklu/personal/sigma/Riemann.pdf). It can be found on page $52$ and looks as follows, $\frac{d}{dt}(df_{e^{tY_{I}}}(e^{tY_{I}}\cdot…
user123124
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Finding the metric from the line element

If given the line element $ds^2$, which is the quadratic form associated to the metric $g$, I would use the polarization identity to find $g$. Is this always necessary? For instance, given the line element on the upper half plane…
user124910
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Singularities of flat manifolds

Can a flat manifold have infinitely many singularities? Let me explain: I am working on riemannian geometry applied to thermodynamics. I am analyzing closed simple systems whose state of equilibrium states is a flat riemannian manifold. I solve the…
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Understanding a point of the example that the Euclidean metric is a Riemannian metric

A hint that many geometers give for people who start in Riemannian Geometry is associate the definitions of the course of Differential Geometry of curves and surfaces on $\mathbb{R}^3$ with the respectively definition in Riemannian Geometry and…
George
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Isometry and geodesic

Let $F: M \rightarrow N$ an isometry and $M,N$ two riemannian manifold. How can I prove that the set of fixed points of F isometry (among riemannian manifold) is a geodesic? In general is it a curve?
ArthurStuart
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Is the exponential map an isometric map from an open subset of the tangent space to the Riemannian manifold?

Let $U$ be a normal neighbourhood of a point $p$ in a Riemannian manifold $M$. Can we say that the exponential map is an isometric map from an open subset of the tangent space $T_pM$ to the manifold $M$? Isometric in the sense that each point in the…
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How to estimate the norm of Jacobi fields or to compute $\langle J(0),J'(0)\rangle$

There is a classical formula based on Taylor series for the square norm of a Jacobi field $J$ with $J(0) = 0$ along a geodesic on a Riemannian manifold $M$. I am interested on a possible estimate for the square norm of a Jacobi field $J$ such that…
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Meaningfulness of metric and covariant derivative induced by spherical coordinations

On $S^2$ have the spherical parametrization $f:(\theta,\phi)\rightarrow (\sin(\theta) \cos(\phi), \sin(\theta) \sin(\phi), \cos(\theta))$. Is it meaningful to talk about the Riemannian metric induced by this only parameterisation? As far as I know…
user555729