All Questions
34 questions
36
votes
7
answers
5k
views
Is there a mathematical book on general relativity that uses exclusively a coordinate free language even in practical computations?
I would also appreciate if it was as far from the physicists formalism as possible, no abstract indices ,etc. Also I don't consider using a basis or tetrads as coordinate free.
The idea is to use ...
- 395
24
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Obtain Lorentzian manifolds from Riemannian ones by Wick rotation
In some cases, Wick rotation of a metric, formally consisting in substituting a coordinate with i times the coordinate itself, allows one to construct a Riemannian manifold starting from a Lorentzian ...
- 639
20
votes
0
answers
2k
views
Schoen and Yau's proof of the higher dimensional positive mass theorem
In April 2017 Schoen and Yau posted on the arxiv their solution of the time-symmetric positive mass theorem in all dimensions, which has been a significant conjecture since the 70s. As of now, July ...
- 2,247
13
votes
4
answers
3k
views
General Relativity and Differential Geometry intuitions of Second Bianchi Identity
In General Relativity, one uses the Riemann Tensor in its coordinate form $R_{abcd}$, and proves the Second Bianchi Identity-
$R_{abcd;e} + R_{abde;c} + R_{abec;d} = 0$
It is said that ...
- 3,574
11
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Does the gluing procedure in Robert Wald’s book *General Relativity* yield a Hausdorff spacetime?
Before I state my problem, let me provide some definitions pertaining to the Cauchy Problem in General Relativity.
Definition 1: A triplet $ (\Sigma,h,k) $ is called an initial data set if $ (\Sigma,...
- 307
7
votes
5
answers
4k
views
Can anyone give an example of Ricci flat Riemannian or Lorentzian Manifold that is not flat?
Does there exist a Ricci flat Riemannian or Lorentzian manifold which is geodesic complete but not flat? And is there any theorm about Ricci-flat but not flat?
I am especially interset in the case ...
- 977
6
votes
1
answer
580
views
A step in the proof on the uniqueness of mass
I am reading the survey paper "The Yamebe Problem" by Lee and Parker. In section 9, Theorem 9.6 in P.78, it was proved that the mass is well defined in the sense that $m(g)$ depends only on the metric ...
- 193
6
votes
2
answers
196
views
Why are they called "screen" distributions?
If $V$ is a vector space and $g$ is a symmetric degenerate bilinear form on $V$, every complementary subspace to the radical ${\rm rad}(V)$ is called a "screen subspace" of $V$: we have an orthogonal ...
- 1,163
6
votes
1
answer
334
views
Tensor component calculation
First of all, this question may be more suited for the Math stack exchange site. If anyone finds this question irrelevant here, please transfer to the relevant site.
Recall that in terms of Weyl and ...
- 319
4
votes
2
answers
528
views
Obtaining Killing fields from the tetrad
I'm reading the following article by Newman
http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/jmp/4/7/10.1063/1.1704018
about the generalization of the Schwarzschild metric. My question is the following: ...
- 475
4
votes
1
answer
466
views
What is the meaning of Yang-Mills action evaluated on Levi-Civita connection?
On a Riemannian manifold $M$ with riemann curvature tensor $R_{\mu\nu\rho\sigma}$ written as (endomorphism valued) curvature two-tensor of the Levi-Civita connection $R=R_{\mu\nu}dx^\mu\wedge dx^\nu$,...
3
votes
3
answers
525
views
Usage/Application of Raychaudhuri equation in Riemann geometry or pure maths
While going through this paper by Witten and seeing a discussion about different aspects of Raychaudhari Equation and Einstein Field Equation. I want to ask if Raychaudhari Equation find any ...
- 139
3
votes
1
answer
379
views
Gauss-Bonnet-Chern Theorem [closed]
I am currently doing an undergraduate project about Gauss-Bonnet-Chern Theorem. Is there any particular books/papers regarding the application of the theorem in the theory of general relativity?
- 159
3
votes
1
answer
333
views
Definitions fundamental forms and their geometric Intuition
Let $(M^{n+1}, g)$ be a Lorentzian manifold (spacetime) that contains a Riemannian/spacelike hypersurface $(\Sigma ^{n},h).$ Then we can define the second fundamental form of the hypersurface in many ...
- 319
3
votes
1
answer
239
views
A question on light cones in Lorentzian manifolds with timelike boundary
Suppose $M= \mathbb R \times M_0$ with a Lorentzian metric $g(t,x)=-dt^2+ g_0(t,x)$ where
$M_0$ is a compact manifold with a smooth boundary and $g_0$ is a family of smooth Riemannian metrics on $M_0$ ...
- 4,135
3
votes
0
answers
126
views
On the linearized evolution equations in general relativity
The following puzzles me already for quite some time: In mathematical relativity, especially in the discussion of the Cauchy problem, one usually works in the so-called ADM-Formalism, in which one ...
- 1,429
3
votes
0
answers
72
views
Lorentzian cobordism through the dominant energy condition
Is the answer to the following problem, or some close variant thereof, known? Briefly:
Given two initial data sets $I_1=(M,g_1,k_1)$ and $I_2=(M,g_2,k_2)$, is there a time-oriented spacetime ...
- 2,247
3
votes
0
answers
162
views
Parallel frame for marginally trapped bi-harmonic surfaces in $\Bbb R^4_2$
I'm reading the paper Classification of marginally trapped Lorentzian flat surfaces in $\mathbb{E}^4_2$ and its applications to biharmonic surfaces by B. Y. Chen.
Summarizing it quickly: he first ...
- 1,163
3
votes
0
answers
101
views
Conformal Transformations that are Ricci Positive Invariant
Is there any known class of conformal transformations $\phi : M \to M$ of a riemannian/semi-riemanian manifold $(M,g)$ that have the property: $g$ is ricci-positive iff $\phi^* g$ ricci positive?
...
- 31
3
votes
0
answers
367
views
Obtaining the metric from the mixed Ricci tensor $R^i{}_j$
In chapter 5 of the book "Einstein Manifolds", Arthur Besse discusses the possibility to find the metric $g$ when knowing the Ricci curvature tensor $Ric(g)$ ($=R_{ij}$).
But what do we know about ...
- 4,312
2
votes
1
answer
166
views
Hyperboloids in Minkowski geometry
Let $(\mathbb R^{1+2},\eta)$ be Minkowski with the metric $\eta= -dt^2+(dx^1)^2+(dx^2)^2$. Suppose $\Sigma$ is a smooth timelike hypersurface and denote by $h$ the second fundamental form on $\Sigma$. ...
- 4,135
2
votes
1
answer
492
views
Gaussian null coordinates
I find it hard to find information on the so-called "Gaussian null coordinates", which Wikipedia says is used to describe "near horizon geometries". Can someone provide a reference where I can read ...
- 679
2
votes
2
answers
403
views
Einstein warped product manifold Ricci flat
Let $(M,g)=(N,\ddot{g})\times f(B,\bar{g})$ be an Einstein warped-product manifold Ricci flat (i.e. $Ric=\lambda g$ with $\lambda=0$) where $f:N \rightarrow (0, \infty)$ (positive scalar function) and ...
- 272
2
votes
1
answer
562
views
Induced connection on null hypersurfaces
I will use a local coordinate formalism here, since this is related to research in general relativity, and my supervisor only tolerates local coordinate formalisms. Plus the research papers I base my ...
- 2,792
2
votes
2
answers
233
views
Lower bound for domain of exponential map on Lorentzian manifolds
Let $M$ denote a manifold admitting a Lorentzian metric $g_{ab}$. Essentially, I would like to know the "minimum domain" on which the exponential map is defined at $p\in M$. To make this concrete, ...
- 193
2
votes
1
answer
358
views
Understanding the proof of lemma 1.1 from Fisher, Marsden, and Moncrief's paper
The following lemma is from Fisher, Marsden, and Moncrief's paper: the structure of the space of solutions of Einstein's equations:1
1.1. Lemma.
If Ein( $\left.{ }^{(4)} g\right)=0$, and ${ }^{(4)} h$ ...
- 319
2
votes
0
answers
479
views
Scalar curvature and warped-product manifolds - intuition
Let $(M, g) = (N_1, g_1) \times_f(N_2, g_2)$ be an Einstein warped-product manifold, with metric $g=g_1+f^2g_2$.
What does it mean if the scalar curvature of its base-manifold $(N_1, g_1)$, equal to ...
- 272
2
votes
0
answers
106
views
The dimension of the subspace of flat spin connections
I am interested in the the flat spin connections in a Riemann spacetime of dimension 4. They appear in the context of the frame formalism of metric gravity theories. I believe that they form a ...
- 51
1
vote
1
answer
142
views
Connection of the existence of Killing-Yano tensor and Killing tensor
Stephani states that in 4 dimensions a spacetime admits a non-reducible Killing-Yano tensor only if the Weyl tensor either is
of Petrov type D or vanishes. Does this imply that the spacetime also ...
- 679
1
vote
0
answers
59
views
Number of divergence free symmetric two tensor in dimension 4 [duplicate]
In a $4$ dimensional (semi)-Riemannian manifold $(M^{4}, g)$, both Einstein tensor $G= \operatorname{Ric}(g)- \frac{R(g)}{2}g$ and stress-energy tensor $T$ symmetric and divergence-free. Is there any ...
- 319
1
vote
0
answers
138
views
Perturbation of a spacetime in general relativity
In general relativity one has the Schwarzchild metric for a non-rotating black hole
$g_{SC} = -\phi^2 \: dt^2 + \Bigg(1 + \frac{m_0}{2r} \Bigg)^4 \delta $
and from this one has the spacelike ...
- 5,146
1
vote
0
answers
156
views
The converse to the positive mass theorem
Let $(M^n,g)$ be an asymptotically flat manifold of decaying-order $\tau>\frac{n-2}{2}$, the positive mass theorem states that if the scalar curvature $S_g$ is non-negative, then the ADM mass $m_g$...
- 2,533
0
votes
1
answer
74
views
Handling degenerate planes in pseudo-Riemannian geometry: impact on sectional curvature and comparison theorems
I've been studying Riemannian and pseudo-Riemannian manifolds and came across an intriguing point regarding the definition of sectional curvature in both geometries.
In pseudo-Riemannian geometry, for ...
- 45
0
votes
1
answer
117
views
Curvature of an affine system
I find an interesting paper that mentioned the Definition of curvature of an affine optimal control system. It reminded me that many textbooks on Riemannian geometry only tell us about metrics, ...
- 111