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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Is it possible to put the a Riemannian metric on $n$-torus such that the sectional curvature is strictly lower than $0$ everywhere?

If $n = 2$, I know that $T^2$ doesn't have a metric $g$ such that the sectional curvature $k < 0$ everywhere, otherwise, $$0 = 2 \pi (2 - 2 * 1) = 2 \pi \chi(T^2) = \int_{T^2} k d\sigma < 0$$ from Gauss-Bonnet's theorem, which is a contradiction,…
George
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Intrinsic characterization of Ricci tensor

Picture below is from do Carmo's Riemannian Geometry. First, what is intrinsic characterization ? I google it and fail to find key.
Enhao Lan
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Doubt on Do Carmo proof of Gauss Formula

I was checking the proof of Gauss theorem in do Carmo's book on Riemannian Geometry (p.131) and got stuck in one of the steps. The theorem of Gauss as stated on Do Carmo goes as: Let $p\in M$ and let $x,y$ be orthonormal vectors in $T_pM$. Then** …
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How can i find this Basis in $\mathbb{R}^n$?

Define a Pseudo-Riemannian Metric $g$ in $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ by $g(u,v)=-u_0v_0+u_1v_1+...+u_nv_n$, where $u=(u_0,u_1,...u_n)$. Let $\eta\in\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ be a vector such that $g(\eta,\eta)=-1$. Is it possible to find a basis $(\eta,w_1,...,w_n)$…
Tomás
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Every compact manifold is geodesically complete

An $n$-dimensional Riemannian manifold $(M,g)$ is said to be geodesically complete if every geodesic $\gamma:(-\varepsilon,\varepsilon) \to M$ can be extended to a geodesic $\widetilde{\gamma}:\mathbb{R}\to M$ defined on the whole real line. There…
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Why is a Riemannian submersion a submetry

I have encountered a conclusion in the book but I do not know how to prove it. If $F$ is a Riemannian submersion from $(M,g)$ to $(N,\tilde g)$, then it is a submetry. (A mapping $F$ is a submetry if for any $p \in M$, we can find $r>0$ such that…
Summer
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Uniform equivalence of norms induced by Riemannian metrics.

Let $g$ and $h$ be Riemannian metrics on $M$. Since $M$ is finite dimensional, at every point $x\in M$ there are constants $c_x$ and $C_x$, both depending on $x$, such that $$c_xh(v,v)\leq g(v,v)\leq C_xh(v,v),\quad\text{for any $v\in T_xM$}.$$…
user375366
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Positive Ricci curvature vs sectional curvature

Consider the Ricci curvature satisfying $Ric(v,v)>0$ for $v\neq 0$. We know that Ricci curvature can be computed as the sum of sectional curvatures of the planes containing $v$ so that if the sectional curvature $K$ satisfies $K>0$ then necessarily…
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The smoothness of distance function

$(M,g)$ is a Riemannian manifold and $N$ is a submanifold of $M$, then is the function $r(x)=\mathop {\min }\limits_{y \in N} d(x,y)$ smooth near $N$? ($d(x,y)$ is the distance function induced by Riemannian metric $g$ ) I think a possible proof may…
Summer
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The geodesics of $S^3\big/G$ does not have necessarily the same length

Take $G := \{Id,h,\ldots,h^{q-1}\}$ the group of isometries of $S^3$ seen as subset of $\mathbb{C}^2$, where each $$h(z_1,z_2) := (\exp({\frac{2\pi i}{q})z_1},\exp({\frac{2\pi ir}{q})z_2}),$$ $(z_1,z_2) \in S^3, \gcd{(q,r) = 1}, q,r\in…
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$(M,g,\nabla)$ Riemannian, $f:M\to\mathbb{R}$ then $g(\nabla_{\nabla f}\nabla f,\nabla f) = 0 \Rightarrow \nabla_{\nabla f}{\nabla f} = 0$

Let $(M,g,\nabla)$ a Riemannian manifold, $f:M\to\mathbb{R}$ then if $g(\nabla f,\nabla f) = 1$, then $\nabla_{\nabla f}{\nabla f} = 0.$ I can't follow from here: $$\nabla_{\nabla f}g(\nabla f, \nabla f) = 2 g(\nabla_{\nabla f}{\nabla f},\nabla f) =…
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How does Riemannian geometry yield the postulates of Euclidean Geometry?

I am reading The Variational Principles of Mechanics by Cornelius Lanczos; here is the concerned excerpt: The fact that geometry can be established analytically and independently of any special reference system is only one of the merits of…
user142971
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What do I need to review for Riemannian Geometry?

Well, I have been about two years without studying almost anything. I am going to start a thesis about three dimensional spaces (need to understand and explain their isometries, curvature, geodesics), the eight spaces or manifolds, BUT when I try to…
Kyor
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Upper half plane is complete with the Lobatchevski metric

How do I show that the Upper half plane is complete with the Lobatchevski metric? I tried to use the fact that $M$ is complete iff the lengh of any divegert curve is unbounded,but did not get any results.thanks.
Jr.
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Tangential component of vector field

I'd like to know the definition of "tangential component" in this case, it is question 3 of page 57 of Do Carmo's book Riemannian Geometry: It says: Define $\nabla_XY(p) = $ tangential component of $\overline\nabla_{\overline X}\overline Y(p) $,…
Jr.
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