Questions tagged [dg.differential-geometry]

Complex, contact, Riemannian, pseudo-Riemannian and Finsler geometry, relativity, gauge theory, global analysis.

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Finding a 1-form adapted to a smooth flow

Let $M$ be a smooth compact manifold, and let $X$ be a smooth vector field of $M$ that is nowhere vanishing, thus one can think of the pair $(M,X)$ as a smooth flow with no fixed points. Let us say ...
Terry Tao's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
2k views

Limit cycles as closed geodesics (in negatively or positively curved space)

Updated 1/25/2023 I just added a related post below: Jacobi fields, Conjugate points and limit cycle theory EDIT: Here is a related post which concern quadratic vector fields rather than Van ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
71 votes
6 answers
9k views

Kahler differentials and Ordinary Differentials

What's the relationship between Kahler differentials and ordinary differential forms?
Abtan Massini's user avatar
73 votes
10 answers
10k views

Riemannian surfaces with an explicit distance function?

I'm looking for explicit examples of Riemannian surfaces (two-dimensional Riemannian manifolds $(M,g)$) for which the distance function d(x,y) can be given explicitly in terms of local coordinates of ...
Terry Tao's user avatar
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212 votes
24 answers
45k views

What is torsion in differential geometry intuitively?

Hi, given a connection on the tangent space of a manifold, one can define its torsion: $$T(X,Y):=\triangledown_X Y - \triangledown_Y X - [X,Y]$$ What is the geometric picture behind this definition&...
Jan Weidner's user avatar
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86 votes
11 answers
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Is there a complex structure on the 6-sphere?

I don't know who first asked this question, but it's a question that I think many differential and complex geometers have tried to answer because it sounds so simple and fundamental. There are even a ...
44 votes
2 answers
10k views

Does the curvature determine the metric?

I ask myself, whether the curvature determines the metric. Concretely: Given a compact manifold $M$, are there two metrics $g_1$ and $g_2$, which are not everywhere flat, such that they are not ...
Bernhard Boehmler's user avatar
23 votes
2 answers
2k views

Uniqueness of compactification of an end of a manifold

Let $M$ be an $n$-dimensional manifold (smooth or topological). I call $\bar{M}$ a compactification of $M$ if it is an $n$-dimensional compact manifold with boundary $\partial \bar{M}$, an $(n-1)$-...
Igor Khavkine's user avatar
90 votes
4 answers
14k views

Can every manifold be given an analytic structure?

Let $M$ be a (real) manifold. Recall that an analytic structure on $M$ is an atlas such that all transition maps are real-analytic (and maximal with respect to this property). (There's also a sheafy ...
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
14 votes
2 answers
856 views

Are all maps $\mathbb{R}^2 \to \mathbb{R}^2$ with fixed singular values affine?

Let $f:\mathbb{R}^2 \to \mathbb{R}^2$ be a smooth map whose differential has fixed distinct singular values $0<\sigma_1<\sigma_2$ and an everywhere positive determinant (which is the product $\...
Asaf Shachar's user avatar
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136 votes
9 answers
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Is there an underlying explanation for the magical powers of the Schwarzian derivative?

Given a function $f(z)$ on the complex plane, define the Schwarzian derivative $S(f)$ to be the function $S(f) = \frac{f'''}{f'} - \frac{3}{2} \Big(\frac{f''}{f'}\Big)^2$ Here is a somewhat more ...
Paul Siegel's user avatar
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69 votes
4 answers
11k views

$C^1$ isometric embedding of flat torus into $\mathbb{R}^3$

I read (in a paper by Emil Saucan) that the flat torus may be isometrically embedded in $\mathbb{R}^3$ with a $C^1$ map by the Kuiper extension of the Nash Embedding Theorem, a claim repeated in this ...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
110 votes
4 answers
13k views

Is there a sheaf theoretical characterization of a differentiable manifold?

I'm going through the crisis of being unhappy with the textbook definition of a differentiable manifold. I'm wondering whether there is a sheaf-theoretic approach which will make me happier. In a ...
Daniel Moskovich's user avatar
78 votes
9 answers
21k views

Results that are widely accepted but no proof has appeared

The background of this question is the talk given by Kevin Buzzard. I could not find the slides of that talk. The slides of another talk given by Kevin Buzzard along the same theme are available here. ...
74 votes
5 answers
13k views

Is there a "geometric" intuition underlying the notion of normal varieties?

I first got concious of the notion of normal varieties around 3 years ago and despite the fact that by now I can manipulate with it a bit, this notion still puzzles me a lot. One thing that strikes me ...
aglearner's user avatar
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7 votes
0 answers
516 views

Limit cycles as closed geodesics(2)

Hilbert 16th problem asks for a uniform upper bound $H(n)$ for the number of limit cycles of a polynomial vector field of degree $n$ on the plane. Here is an updated proof of the ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
463 views

A curvature description for center condition for quadratic vector field

We consider the quadratic vector field $V$ $$\begin{cases} x'=P(x,y)\\ y'=Q(x,y) \end {cases}\;\;\;\;(V)$$ where $P,Q \in \mathbb{R}[x,y]$ are polynomials of degree $2$ with $P(0,0)=Q(0,0)=...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
75 votes
7 answers
8k views

Example of a manifold which is not a homogeneous space of any Lie group

Every manifold that I ever met in a differential geometry class was a homogeneous space: spheres, tori, Grassmannians, flag manifolds, Stiefel manifolds, etc. What is an example of a connected smooth ...
MTS's user avatar
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63 votes
6 answers
4k views

Shortest closed curve to inspect a sphere

Let $S$ be a sphere in $\mathbb{R}^3$. Let $C$ be a closed curve in $\mathbb{R}^3$ disjoint from and exterior to $S$ which has the property that every point $x$ on $S$ is visible to some point $y$ of $...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
50 votes
0 answers
12k views

Atiyah's paper on complex structures on $S^6$

M. Atiyah has posted a preprint on arXiv on the non-existence of complex structure on the sphere $S^6$. https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.09366 It relies on the topological $K$-theory $KR$ and in ...
David C's user avatar
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36 votes
10 answers
6k views

Determining a surface in $\mathbb{R}^3$ by its Gaussian curvature

A curve in the plane is determined, up to orientation-preserving Euclidean motions, by its curvature function, $\kappa(s)$. Here is one of my favorite examples, from Alfred Gray's book, Modern ...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
19 votes
4 answers
2k views

Equations satisfied by the Riemann curvature tensor

It is well known that the Riemann curvature tensor of a metric satisfies \begin{eqnarray} R_{jikl}=-R_{ijkl}=R_{ijlk},(1)\\ R_{klij}=R_{ijkl},(2)\\ R_{i[jkl]}=0 \mbox{(1st Bianchi identity)}.(3) \end{...
asv's user avatar
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15 votes
2 answers
848 views

Is a smooth closed surface in Euclidean 3-space rigid?

Classical theorem of Cohn-Vossen: A closed convex surface in Euclidean 3-space cannot be deformed isometrically. Robert Connelly found an example of a polyhedral surface that can be deformed ...
15 votes
3 answers
5k views

The conformal group of $S^n$.

Is there any explicit computation of Conf($S^n$, $g_{std}$), the group of conformal diffeomorphisms of the standard $n$-sphere?
Leandro's user avatar
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14 votes
1 answer
1k views

When is a given matrix of two forms a curvature form?

Let's assume we are working over $\mathbb{R}^n$ (but feel free to change to domain to answer the question). I wish to know if the equation $F = dA + A \wedge A$ can be solved for a matrix of 1-forms $...
Vamsi's user avatar
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13 votes
0 answers
703 views

Hilbert 16th problem and dynamical Lefschetz trace formula

I would like to apply the known version of the conjectural formula (11) page !0 of the paper Number theory and dynamical Lefschetz trace formula. Disclaimer: I do not have a complete ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
886 views

Is there a volume-preserving diffeomorphism of the disk with prescribed singular values?

This is a cross-post. While working on a variational problem, I have reached to the following question. Let $0<\sigma_1<\sigma_2$ satisfy $\sigma_1\sigma_2=1$, and let $D \subseteq \mathbb{R}^2$...
Asaf Shachar's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
869 views

Sharp Gaussian upper bounds on Heat Kernel

I am looking for references (with proof) for the following statement: Let $(M, g)$ be a Riemannian manifold with bounded curvature and let $p_t(x , y)$ be the heat kernel of $M$. Let $K$ be compact ...
Matthias Ludewig's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
749 views

Does $P_xP_y+Q_xQ_y=0 \implies$ "non-existence of limit cycle" for $P\partial_x+Q\partial_y$"? (Complex dilatation and limit cycle theory)

Let $X=P\partial_x+Q\partial_y$ be a vector field on the plane $\mathbb{R}^2$. Assume that we have :$$P_xP_y+Q_xQ_y=0$$ Does this imply that the vector field $X$ is a divergence-free vector field ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
109 votes
6 answers
15k views

When can a connection Induce a Riemannian metric for which it is the Levi-Civita connection?

As we all know, for a Riemannian manifold $(M,g)$, there exists a unique torsion-free connection $\nabla_g$, the Levi-Civita connection, that is compatible with the metric. I was wondering if one can ...
Jean Delinez's user avatar
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99 votes
6 answers
11k views

Is there an analogue of curvature in algebraic geometry?

I am not an expert, but there seems to be an enormous technical difference between algebraic geometry and differential/metric geometry stemming from the fact that there is apparently no such thing as ...
Paul Siegel's user avatar
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83 votes
4 answers
6k views

Parallelizability of the Milnor's exotic spheres in dimension 7

Are the Milnor's seven dimensional exotic spheres parallelizable?
Hamed's user avatar
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50 votes
7 answers
50k views

Determinant of sum of positive definite matrices

Say $A$ and $B$ are symmetric, positive definite matrices. I've proved that $$\det(A+B) \ge \det(A) + \det(B)$$ in the case that $A$ and $B$ are two dimensional. Is this true in general for $n$-...
user15221's user avatar
  • 511
34 votes
6 answers
5k views

Kähler structure on cotangent bundle?

The total space of cotangent bundle of any manifold $M$ is a symplectic manifold. Is it true/false/unknown that for any $M$, $T^*M$ has Kähler structure? Please support your claim with reference or ...
Mohammad Farajzadeh-Tehrani's user avatar
33 votes
2 answers
2k views

What are the "correct" conventions for defining Clifford algebras?

I have three related questions about conventions for defining Clifford algebras. 1) Let $(V, q)$ be a quadratic vector space. Should the Clifford algebra $\text{Cliff}(V, q)$ have defining ...
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
22 votes
2 answers
2k views

Functional approach vs jet approach to Lagrangian field theory

Context: I am a PhD student in theoretical physics with higher-than-average education on differential geometry. I am trying to understand Lagrangian and Hamiltonian field theories and related concepts ...
Bence Racskó's user avatar
18 votes
1 answer
1k views

The Teichmüller space $T_g$ of a closed riemann surface $S_g$ of genus $g \geq 2$ can't be parametrized by $6g−6$ geodesic length functions

I asked this question almost a month ago on Math SE. After waiting three weeks for an answer or a comment, I opened a bounty on the question in hope that it might get an answer this way. The bounty ...
user331406's user avatar
18 votes
0 answers
1k views

Jets of sections of vector bundles expressed by symmetrized iterated covariant derivatives - who did it first?

The (non-unique) bundle isomorphism between the bundle $J^r E$ of $r$-th order jets of sections of a vector bundle $\pi:E\rightarrow M$ and the direct sum $$\bigoplus^r_{k=0}\vee^kT^*M\otimes E\...
Pedro Lauridsen Ribeiro's user avatar
17 votes
2 answers
5k views

Square of the distance function on a Riemannian manifold

Let $(M^n,g)$ be a smooth Riemannian manifold. Consider the square of the distance function $$dist^2\colon M\times M\to \mathbb{R}$$ given by $(x,y)\mapsto dist^2(x,y)$. It is easy to see that this ...
asv's user avatar
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14 votes
2 answers
2k views

If compact connected Lie groups are homeomorphic as topological space, are they isomorphic as Lie groups?

Let $G_{1}$ and $G_{2}$ be compact connected Lie groups. If $G_{1}$ and $G_{2}$ are homeomorphic as topological spaces, are they isomorphic as Lie groups?
sife's user avatar
  • 491
4 votes
0 answers
485 views

Limit cycles of quadratic systems and closed geodesics(Finitness of $H(2)$)

This question is inspired by this answer to the question Finding a 1-form adapted to a smooth flow. Assume that $V$ is a polynomial vector field of degree $2$ as follows:$$\begin{cases} x'=P(...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
612 views

Expansions of iterated, or nested, derivatives, or vectors--conjectured matrix computation

The entry OEIS A139605 (also related OEIS A145271) has a matrix computation for the partition polynomials that represent the expansions of iterated derivatives, or vectors in differential geometry, $...
Tom Copeland's user avatar
  • 9,897
182 votes
19 answers
35k views

How do I make the conceptual transition from multivariable calculus to differential forms?

One way to define the algebra of differential forms $\Omega(M)$ on a smooth manifold $M$ (as explained by John Baez's week287) is as the exterior algebra of the dual of the module of derivations on ...
122 votes
7 answers
15k views

Topology and the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics

I was very happy to learn that the work which led to the award of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics (shared between David J. Thouless, F. Duncan M. Haldane and J. Michael Kosterlitz) uses Topology. In ...
74 votes
7 answers
19k views

What is the symbol of a differential operator?

I find Wikipedia's discussion of symbols of differential operators a bit impenetrable, and Google doesn't seem to turn up useful links, so I'm hoping someone can point me to a more pedantic discussion....
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
73 votes
1 answer
3k views

Does $\Bbb{CP}^{2n} \# \Bbb{CP}^{2n}$ ever support an almost complex structure?

This question has been crossposted from Math.SE in the hopes that it reaches a larger audience here. $\Bbb{CP}^{2n+1} \# \Bbb{CP}^{2n+1}$ supports a complex structure: $\Bbb{CP}^{2n+1}$ has an ...
mme's user avatar
  • 9,253
65 votes
22 answers
10k views

When has discrete understanding preceded continuous?

From my limited perspective, it appears that the understanding of a mathematical phenomenon has usually been achieved, historically, in a continuous setting before it was fully explored in a discrete ...
63 votes
12 answers
13k views

How much of differential geometry can be developed entirely without atlases? [closed]

We may define a topological manifold to be a second-countable Hausdorff space such that every point has an open neighborhood homeomorphic to an open subset of $\mathbb{R}^n$. We can further define a ...
Harry Gindi's user avatar
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56 votes
10 answers
9k views

de Rham cohomology and flat vector bundles

I was wondering whether there is some notion of "vector bundle de Rham cohomology". To be more precise: the k-th de Rham cohomology group of a manifold $H_{dR}^{k}(M)$ is defined as the set of closed ...
Spinorbundle's user avatar
  • 1,909
52 votes
5 answers
7k views

Beautiful descriptions of exceptional groups

I'm curious about the beautiful descriptions of exceptional simple complex Lie groups and algebras (and maybe their compact forms). By beautiful I mean: simple (not complicated - it means that we need ...
zroslav's user avatar
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