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Let $(M,g)$ be a Riemannian manifold with $LC$ conncection $\nabla$. Assume that for every three global vector fields $X,Y,Z \in \chi^{\infty}(M)$ with $[X,Y]=0$ we have $\nabla_{X} \nabla_{Y} Z=\nabla_{Y} \nabla_{X} Z$

Is the metric necessarily a flat metric?

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  • $\begingroup$ Are you only allowed to check this condition for vector fields that are globally defined on $M$? $\endgroup$ Commented May 2, 2017 at 8:15
  • $\begingroup$ @IgorKhavkine yes in fact how can two locall commting vector fields can be extend to two global commuting vector fields? $\endgroup$ Commented May 2, 2017 at 8:23
  • $\begingroup$ Moreover in the litterature, are there some focus on flat manifolds with the following dynamical approach: two commuting flows give two commuting connection operators. $\endgroup$ Commented May 2, 2017 at 8:25
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    $\begingroup$ The conjecture about centralizers of generic diffeomorphisms is actually proved in the $C^1$ case. arxiv.org/abs/0804.1416 $\endgroup$ Commented May 2, 2017 at 12:33
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    $\begingroup$ Some googling turned up uio.no/studier/emner/matnat/math/MAT4520/v15/oppgaver/oblig.pdf - assuming problem 4 is correct, we can construct commuting global vector fields $X,Y$ with prescribed values at a single point. $\endgroup$ Commented May 3, 2017 at 15:04

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To see that $g$ is flat, we need enough pairs of commuting global vector fields. To construct these, let $f(r)\colon[0,\infty)\to[0,1)$ be a monotone function with $f(r)=1-\frac1{\log r}$ for $r\gg 1$. Consider the diffeomorphism $\mathbb R^n\to B^n$ given by $\Phi(x)=f(|x|)\,\frac x{|x|}$. We can map constant (and therefore commuting) vector fields $V$, $W$ on $\mathbb R^n$ to vector fields on $B^n$ that decay sufficiently fast near the boundary of $B^n\subset\mathbb R^n$ so that we can extend them by $0$ to compactly supported vector fields $\bar V$, $\bar W$ on $\mathbb R^n$. By naturality of the Lie bracket, these vector fields still commute.

The same construction in local coordinates gives sufficiently many pairs of commuting vector field of manifolds to conclude that the connection $\nabla$ is flat.

In the comments you ask for global vector fields that are independent almost everywhere. It seems to me that the construction above can be modified to give pairs of commuting vector fields that vanish along the $(n-1)$-skeleton of a smooth triangulation of a manifold $M$, and are linearly independent otherwise.

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  • $\begingroup$ With the old $f$, the vector fields would not decay fast enough on $B^n$ close to the boundary. So I copied the function used in the link in @Anthony Carapetis' comment instead. $\endgroup$ Commented May 3, 2017 at 19:21

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