All Questions
Tagged with isometries riemannian-geometry
42 questions
4
votes
1
answer
255
views
Isometry group of a left-invariant Riemannian metric on $\mathrm{SU}(2)$
Recall that
\begin{equation}
\mathbb{S}^3=\operatorname{SU}(2)=\left\{
\begin{pmatrix}
z&w\\
-\bar{w}&\bar{z}
\end{pmatrix}
,|z|^2+|w|^2=1
\right\}
\end{...
- 1,441
1
vote
1
answer
129
views
$\operatorname{Hess}r$ is scalar matrix $\implies$ $M$ is isometric to the space form
I'm trying to prove the rigidity part of a theorem in my paper, which requires the use of the classical Hessian comparison theorem's rigidity part:
$$\DeclareMathOperator\sn{sn}\operatorname{Hess}r=\...
- 195
10
votes
4
answers
711
views
Palais's and Kobayashi's theorems on automorphism groups of geometric structures
My question concerns two results in the neighborhood of the standard theorem of Myers-Steenrod that isometry groups of Riemannian manifolds are Lie groups. Both appear in the first chapter of ...
- 486
6
votes
1
answer
370
views
Does the isometry group determine the Riemannian metric?
Suppose $G \subset \text{Iso}(M)$ is a Lie group acting smoothly on a (pseudo-)Riemannian manifold $(M, g)$. Then $G$ induces a Lie algebra of Killing vectors on $M$. In this paper by Goenner and ...
- 203
6
votes
0
answers
149
views
What is the minimum $n$ for which $\Bbb H^3$ can be isometrically embedded in $\Bbb R^n$ as a bounded set?
Consider the hyperbolic $3$-space $\Bbb H^3$ (i.e., the unique, simply-connected, $3$-dimensional complete Riemannian manifold with a constant negative sectional curvature equal to $-1$). The Nash ...
- 1,097
8
votes
3
answers
629
views
Realizing mapping classes as isometries?
Let $\phi : M \to M$ be a diffeomorphism. Is there a metric $g$ on $M$ and a diffeomorphism $\psi$ isotopic to $\phi$ so that $\psi$ is an isometry with respect to $g$? I'm guessing the answer is no,...
- 5,349
9
votes
1
answer
334
views
Can a knotted sphere isometrically embed into $\mathbb R^3$?
All smooth simple closed curves in $\mathbb R^3$ (knotted or not) can be isometrically embedded into $\mathbb R^2$ as a circle of equal arclength.
The situation for knotted spheres seems more ...
- 459
25
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Isometric embedding of SO(3) into an euclidean space
Consider $SO(3)$ with its bi-invariant metric and $R^n$ the euclidean space of dimension $n$. What is the minimal value of $n$ such that there exists an isometric embedding $f: SO(3) \to R^n$?
- 251
15
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Uniform distribution of points on Riemannian manifolds
Recently, I came across a beautiful paper by Arnol'd and Krylov (Uniform distribution of points on a sphere...) that contains the following theorem:
Theorem: Let A and B be two rotations of the ...
- 1,064
13
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Isometry group of a compact hyperbolic surface
Consider a compact surface $M$ of genus $g \geq 2$ with a metric of constant negative curvature. My question is, is it known under what sorts of sufficient conditions such a metric will have non-...
- 133
1
vote
0
answers
187
views
Does there exist an isometry between a regular polygon and a circle?
In order to define the question in a meaningful fashion, I am referring to a smooth manifold $\mathcal{M}$ within an $\epsilon$-neighborhood of a regular polygon $\mathcal{P}$ satisfying $$\max\{\|x-p\...
- 547
12
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Isometry group of pseudo Riemannian manifold always a Lie group? (Myers-Steenrod)
Myers-Steenrod states that the isometry group of a Riemannian manifold is a Lie group. Is that also true for pseudo Riemannian manifolds? I didn't find anything related to that.
Cheers
- 123
16
votes
2
answers
967
views
Tweetable way to see Riemannian isometries are harmonic?
$\newcommand{\al}{\alpha}$
$\newcommand{\euc}{\mathcal{e}}$
$\newcommand{\Cof}{\operatorname{Cof}}$
$\newcommand{\Det}{\operatorname{Det}}$
Smooth Riemannian isometries are harmonic. Can one conclude ...
- 6,741
13
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Is there a global obstruction for a diffeomorphism to be an isometry?
Let $V$ be a finite dimensional vector space.
Let us call an automorphism $T:V\rightarrow V$ admissible if there exists an inner product $\langle , \rangle$ on $V$ making $T$ an isometry.
We know $T$...
- 6,741
3
votes
1
answer
454
views
Pogorelov's rigidity theorem vs Cohn-Vossen rigidity theorem
There is the following rigidity theorem of Cohn-Vossen as stated on p. 86 of these lecture notes: http://www.math.brown.edu/~deigen/chern.pdf
Any isometry between two closed smooth convex surfaces (...
- 21.8k
17
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Are there some intrinsic invariants of surfaces other than Gaussian curvature?
The principal curvatures of a surface is denoted by $\kappa_{1}, \kappa_{2}$.
Let $P(x,y)$ be a polynomial with real coefficients. Assume that $P(\kappa_{1}, \kappa_{2})$ is an intrinsically ...
- 366
-2
votes
1
answer
517
views
Local isometry implies covering map: nonempty boundary case [closed]
The following theorem is well known in the literature:
Let $M$ and $N$ be riemannian manifolds and let $f : M \to N$ be a local isometry. If $M$ is complete and $N$ is connected, then $f$ is a ...
- 2,095
4
votes
0
answers
101
views
Isometries of fiber bundles
Let $F\to S\overset{\pi}{\to} B$ a Riemannian submersion with totally geodesic fibers.
Question: How much information about the isometries of $S$ we have if we know the isometries of $F$ and $B$? For ...
- 223
6
votes
1
answer
185
views
Cohn-Vossen rigidity theorem in hyperbolic space
There is the following rigidity theorem of Cohn-Vossen as stated on p. 86 of these lecture notes: http://www.math.brown.edu/~deigen/chern.pdf
Any isometry between two closed smooth convex surfaces in ...
- 21.8k
2
votes
1
answer
101
views
Characterization of extrinsic distance prevserving embedding (see the definition given!) from low dimensional Euclidean spaces to high dimensions
P.S. I asked the question on MSE more than a week ago, but didn't get any desired answer, so asking here.
Let $m < n \in \mathbb{N}$. Let us equip $\mathbb{R}^m, \mathbb{R}^n $ with their ...
- 1,467
18
votes
1
answer
980
views
Possible isometries of a positively curved $S^2\times S^2$
Just to put things in perspective, recall that the Hopf Conjecture asks whether $S^2\times S^2$ admits a metric of positive sectional curvature. By the work of Hsiang-Kleiner, it is known that, if $S^...
- 5,891
14
votes
2
answers
506
views
Do curvature differences obstruct a.e orientation-preserving isometries?
Is there an example of a pair $M,N$ of connected, oriented equidimensional Riemannian manifolds with the following properties:
$M$ is everywhere non-flat, $N$ is flat.
There exist a map $f:M \to N$ ...
- 6,741
11
votes
1
answer
486
views
About Palais' remark that an isometry of Riemannian manifolds does not induce an isometry of the Hilbert manifolds of curves
In the paper ``Morse theory on Hilbert manifolds'' (1963), on page
326, Richard Palais makes a remark that if $\phi\colon V \to W$ is an
isometry (of submanifolds of $\mathbb{R}^n$), then this does ...
- 2,481
1
vote
1
answer
142
views
How does this orthogonality follow from the map being an isometry?
This is a step of a proof in the book Variational Problems in Geometry by Seiki Nishikawa. I will ignore the background and change some of the statements and notations for simplicity.
Let $(M,g)$ ...
- 283
21
votes
1
answer
1k
views
A differentiable isometry is smooth?
I posted this question in MSE but got no response (even after giving a bounty), so I am trying here.
Let $M,N$ be smooth $d$-dimensional Riemannian manifolds.
Suppose $f:M \to N$ is a differentiable ...
- 6,741
5
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Testing for Riemannian isometry
In most physics situations one gets the metric as a positive definite symmetric matrix in some chosen local coordinate system.
Now if on the same space one has two such metrics given as matrices then ...
- 3,541
9
votes
2
answers
499
views
There is no arcwise isometry from a high dimensional manifold into a low dimensional manifold
$\newcommand{\al}{\alpha}$
$\newcommand{\ga}{\gamma}$
$\newcommand{\e}{\epsilon}$
Let $X,Y$ be Riemannian manifolds, such that $\dim(X) > \dim(Y)$.
I am trying to prove the following statement (...
- 6,741
16
votes
1
answer
601
views
If all balls around two points are isometric... -- manifold version
This question is a natural follow-up of this other question, asked earlier today by wspin.
Let's say that a metric space $(X,d)$ has two poles if:
there are two distinct points $x$, $y$ such that ...
- 10.9k
1
vote
2
answers
383
views
Conformal harmonic maps in high dimensions are scaled isometries
This is a cross-post from MSE (where I got no answer).
It is well-known that conformal maps between $2$-dimensional Riemannian manifolds are harmonic.
I discovered lately that in dimension $d>2$, ...
- 6,741
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
The surjectivity of the exponential map for the isometry group
Little is known on general conditions guaranteeing that the exponential map between a Lie algebra and an associated Lie group is surjective.
Let $M$ be a noncompact connected Riemann manifold, and $G$...
- 5,407
6
votes
1
answer
734
views
Are the Sasaki metrics on tangent and cotangent bundle isomorphic?
Let $(M,g)$ be a Riemannian manifold. Then there is the well-known
Sasaki metric that makes $(TM,\hat{g})$ a Riemannian manifold. In a
similar way, one can construct a Sasaki metric $\bar{g}$ on the
...
- 2,481
7
votes
1
answer
373
views
Are metric isometries smooth at the boundary?
Let $M,N$ be smooth Riemannian manifolds with boundary (In particular, we assume the boundaries are smooth).
Suppose we have a map $\phi:M \to N$ which satisfies the following properties:
$$(1) \, \,...
- 6,741
6
votes
2
answers
208
views
Are all symmetries of the Dirichlet functional isometries?
This is a cross-post from MSE (no answer there).
Let $M,N$ be oriented $d$-dimensional Riemannian manifolds, $M$ compact*, and let $f:M \to N$ be smooth.
Consider the Dirichlet energy functional: $...
- 6,741
8
votes
1
answer
320
views
Does nonexpanding map between manifolds decrease volume?
(This question is a special case of a question I asked at SE, which got no answer there)
Let $M,N$ be diffeomorphic connected compact Riemannian manifolds, and let $f:M \to N$ be a surjective ...
- 6,741
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Isometry groups of Riemannian submersions with totally geodesic fibers
Suppose $F\to M\stackrel{\pi}{\to} B$ is a Riemannian submersion with totally geodesic fibers, all manifolds compact. In general, unless $M=B\times F$ is a Riemannian product, the isometry groups of ...
- 5,891
4
votes
1
answer
194
views
How isometric action on Riemannian manifold acts on cut locus
Assume that $M$ is a simply connected closed Riemannian manifold with no boundary and nonnegative sectional curvaure Assume that ${\bf Z}_n=(g),\ n\geq 3$ acts on $M$ isometrically. Then if $gx=x$, i....
- 1,100
2
votes
1
answer
261
views
isometric action on the $n$-sphere
Let $S^n$ be the $n$-sphere. If $n=2k+1$ is odd, then we can identify $S^n$ as a subset of $\mathbb{C}^{k+1}$. We define the $S^1$ action on $S^n$ by multiplication, namely
$$ \Psi \colon S^1 \times ...
- 501
1
vote
1
answer
285
views
Obstruction to the existence of global isometries on a constant-curvature Riemannian manifold
Let $M$ be an $m$-dimensional simply connected Riemannian manifold that is not geodesically complete. Suppose $M$ has constant sectional curvature.
Because the curvature is constant, locally $M$ ...
- 685
6
votes
0
answers
691
views
Isometries of Compact Semisimple Lie Groups
In this delightful question, the poster mentioned that the isometry group of a compact Lie group $G$, equipped with the metric from the Killing form, is $G\times G/Z(G)$, where $Z(G)$ is the center of ...
- 779
7
votes
1
answer
497
views
Open problems about CMC hypersurfaces with symmetries?
Recently, Andrews and Li announced a complete classification of CMC ($H=const.$) tori in $S^3$, confirming a conjecture of Pinkall and Sterling. Their main result is that any such torus is ...
- 5,891
1
vote
1
answer
207
views
Riemann isometry vs Euclidean bi-Lipschitz mapping
Assume that $\gamma$ is a rectifiable Jordan curve in the complex plane of length $2\pi$. Then there exists a Riemann isometry $f$ between $\gamma$ and the unit circle $T$. My question is, does this ...
- 303
7
votes
0
answers
669
views
Homometric $\Rightarrow$ isometric?
Suppose you know that there is a mapping between
two Riemmanian manifolds $M_1$ and $M_2$ such that,
for each $x_1 \in M_1$, the (codimension-1) measure of the set of points
at distance $d$ from $x_1$ ...
- 151k