Questions tagged [riemannian-geometry]

Riemannian Geometry is a subfield of Differential Geometry, which specifically studies "Riemannian Manifolds", manifolds with "Riemannian Metrics", which means that they are equipped with continuous inner products.

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Reference for parallel transport around loop and its relation to curvature

It is a well known fact that the geometric meaning of a linear connection's curvature can be realized as the measure of a change in a fiber element as it is parallel transported along a closed loop. ...
Bence Racskó's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
98 views

singular integral operators

Let $(\Omega,g)$ be a compact domain with smooth boundary and suppose that $g$ is smooth. Let $g_D$ and $g_N$ denote the Dirichlet and Neumann green functions for the Laplace-Beltrami operator. My ...
Ali's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
388 views

A Lagrangian connection and its algebraic interpretation

Assume that $M$ is a $n$ dimensional Riemannian manifold. So $TM$ has a natural structure of a symplectic manifold. A Lagrangian connection $D$ on $M$ is a $n$ dimensional distribution for $TM$ such ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
216 views

$L^2$-Euler number

Suppose $M$ is a closed manifold, and $\tilde M$ is the universal covering. Q: Can we say that $\chi(M)=L^2\chi(\tilde M)$, where $L^2\chi(\tilde M)$ denotes the alternative sum of the dimension of $...
DLIN's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
317 views

Distance function on a curve on a manifold

Suppose that we are given a non-negative even function $b\in C^\infty[-1,1]$ satisfying $b(0)=0$, $\sqrt{b(x+y)}\le \sqrt{b(x)}+\sqrt{b(y)}$ for any $x,y\in[-\frac12,\frac12]$. Can we always find a 3-...
Right's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
126 views

Volume growth of balls implies volume growth of spheres?

Suppose I have a complete, non-compact Riemannian manifold $M$ such that the volume of balls around a fixed point $p \in M$ satisfies $$\mathrm{vol}(B_R(p)) \leq v(R)$$ for some function $v$. Can we ...
Matthias Ludewig's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
950 views

Continuation (extension) of harmonic functions

Suppose $(M,g)$ is a simply connected smooth Riemannian manifold with smooth boundary and suppose that $U \subset \partial M$ is a smooth open connected subset of the boundary. Now my question is the ...
Ali's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
239 views

The first eigenfunction of Dirac operator for surface

Let $M$ be a spherical oriented surface with Riemannian metric and with trivial spin structure. We know that the equation $$D \phi = \rho \phi$$, where $\rho: M\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ is a real scalar ...
Z. Ye's user avatar
  • 121
2 votes
2 answers
122 views

Invertible (isometric) sections of certain hom bundles over sphere

Assume that we have a vector bundle $E$ over $S^n$. Is there a continuous family of invertible linear maps $T_x:E_x \to E_{-x}$? Here continuity has the obvious meaning as soon as ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
125 views

About the ergodic theorem of Birkhoff in the context of a compact Riemannian manifold

Let $V$ be a compact Riemannian manifold, $G$ the set of diffeomophisms of $V$, let $\nu$ be a probability measure in $G$. Suppose that $\exp_{x}$ is diffeomorphism in $\mathcal{B}_{2I}(x)\subset V$ ...
matematicaActiva's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
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A quantity associated with a Riemannian surface

Assume that $E$ is a Riemannian vector bundle, then its structure group is reduced to $O(n)$. Then the structure group of $E \oplus E$ is reduced to $D(O(n) \oplus O(n)) \subset Sp(2n)$ ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is $\delta(df \wedge df)=0$ an Euler-Lagrange equation?

$\newcommand{\id}{\operatorname{Id}}$ $\newcommand{\TM}{\operatorname{TM}}$ $\newcommand{\Hom}{\operatorname{Hom}}$ $\newcommand{\M}{\mathcal{M}}$ $\newcommand{\N}{\mathcal{N}}$ $\newcommand{\tr}{\...
Asaf Shachar's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
865 views

Primary definition of a geodesic

I am wondering if there is a sense in which one of these definitions for a geodesic on a smooth Riemannian manifold is primary to the other. A geodesic has acceleration zero, i.e., it is self-...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
79 views

Relation between the geodesics of Finsler norms $F(V)$ and $F(-V)$

I am trying to solve this exercise. Let $(M,F)$ be a Finsler space and define $\tilde{F}(x,y):=F(x,-y)$. Then $(M,\tilde{F})$ is a Finsler space and given a geodesic $t\mapsto \gamma(t)$ of $F$, $t\...
Majid's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
288 views

''Are Hermitian metric pullbacks automatically via biholomorphisms?''

The awkward title is an attempt at approximating the following specific question: Let $(M^{2n}, J)$ be a complex manifold, suppose $g_0$ is a Riemannian metric $M$ compatible with $J$, and suppose $\...
Thisquestionisreallyhard's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
291 views

Existence of geometric tubular neighborhoods in Finsler spaces

$\DeclareMathOperator\Tub{Tub}$I have not found any reference among the well-known books about the existence of a geometric tubular neighborhood in the Finsler spaces. I am wondering if there exists ...
Majid's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
129 views

Smoothness of some power of the geodesic distance in a Finsler geometry

I know that generally the geodesic distance $d_x$ from a point $x$ in a Finsler space is not smooth ($C^\infty$). According to Shen, the square of it is just $C^1$ at $x$. Now I am wondering if there ...
Majid's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
122 views

Calibrated submanifolds in Spin(7) and Calabi-Yau threefold

Suppose I have a Cayley cycle in a $Spin(7)$ holonomy manifold $M$, i.e. a calibrated submanifold. In the special case that $M=CY_3\times T^2$, is it possible that the Cayley cycle reduces to a Kahler ...
sam's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
296 views

Vector field with Harmonic flow

Assume that $(M,g)$ is a Riemannian manifold. A vector field $X$ on $M$ is called a harmonic vector field if the corresponding $1$-form $\alpha$ with $\alpha(Y)= \langle X,Y \rangle_g$...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
163 views

Geometric and holomorphic structure of $\mathbb{C} \rtimes \mathbb{C} \setminus \{ 0 \}$

Put $G= \mathbb{C} \rtimes_{\phi} \mathbb{C} \setminus \{0\}$ where $\phi_{a} (z)= az$ for $a \in \mathbb{C} \setminus \{0\}$. $G$ is a real $4$ dimensional Lie group; then it has a unique left ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
593 views

General questions on the eigenfunctions of Laplacian and Dirac operators

We know that the eigenvalues of the Laplacian contains a lot of information of a Riemannian manifold, but they do not determine the full information ( Hearing the shape of a drum). And the ...
Z. Ye's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
113 views

About pairwise distances of some points in a Riemannian manifold $M$ of ${\rm sec}\ M\geq 1$

This question is cross-posted in MO and MSE https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/2276064/about-pairwise-distances-of-some-points-in-a-riemannian-manifold-m-of-rm-se Assume that there are points ...
Hee Kwon Lee's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
314 views

Isoperimetric inequality in CAT(0) surfaces

I am looking for a version of the (2-dimensional) isoperimetric inequality for globally CAT(0) (in particular simply-connected) surfaces. I am particularly interested in characterizing the disk of ...
Mikhail Katz's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
246 views

A non vanishing vector field compatible to a Riemannian metric

Assume that $(M, g)$ is a connected Riemannian manifold which is either open or is compact with zero Euler characteristic. Is there a non vanishing vector field $X$ on $M$ such ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
203 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: $...
Asaf Shachar's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
330 views

A characterization of flat metrics via global vector fields

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_{...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
367 views

Riemannian Manifolds of Bounded Curvature

I am a complete newbie Riemannian Geometry with a particular application in mind so please excuse a lack of rigor in the question. Suppose I have a manifold with sectional curvature everywhere ...
user1189053's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
512 views

De Turck trick on mean curvature flow

I am reading the book Lecture on mean curvature flow by Xi-Ping Zhu. Suppose $M^n$ is an n-dimension smooth manifold and $X(x,t):M^n \rightarrow R^{n+1}$ be a one-parameter family of smooth immersion....
mnmn1993's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
643 views

Negatively curved manifolds with many totally geodesic submanifolds

I'm curious about the following question and have not been able to find any literature on the topic: Suppose that $M$ is a closed negatively curved Riemannian manifold with a "large" quantity of ...
Clark's user avatar
  • 179
13 votes
1 answer
711 views

Is this expression for the Laplacian of conformal maps between Riemannian manifolds known?

$\newcommand{\M}{\mathcal{M}}$ $\newcommand{\N}{\mathcal{N}}$ $\newcommand{\Hom}{\operatorname{Hom}}$ $\newcommand{\tr}{\operatorname{tr}}$ $\newcommand{\TM}{\operatorname{T\M}}$ $\newcommand{\TN}{\...
Asaf Shachar's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
137 views

Convex hull of a connected subset on a complete surface of non-positive curvature

Let $S$ be a simply connected surface, possibly with boundary components, with a smooth complete metric of non-positive curvature. Let $X\subset S$ be a closed connected subset. I would like to know ...
aglearner's user avatar
  • 14k
1 vote
1 answer
98 views

Polar coordinates of a set with different radius and angle

Let $M$ be a $2$-dimensional Riemannian manifold and let $U\subset M$ be an open set. Suppose there exist polar coordinates $(r,\theta)$ with center $q\in M$ such that $$U=\lbrace{ (r,\theta): 0<...
Sammyy Delbrin's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
361 views

Sources for Alexandrov surfaces

There are two distinct notions in differential geometry associated with A. D. Alexandrov: (1) Alexandrov spaces of courvature bounded from below; (2) Alexandrov surfaces of bounded total curvature (...
Mikhail Katz's user avatar
  • 15.4k
1 vote
2 answers
315 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 $d>2$, ...
Asaf Shachar's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
241 views

Exponential map for non-smooth Finsler manifolds

Context I'm interested in studying reversible Finsler manifolds which do not have the strong convexity of the Hessian property (that is the Finsler function is a regular norm on every tangent space). ...
ABIM's user avatar
  • 4,969
2 votes
0 answers
283 views

"Riemannian" collar theorem

Let $(M,g)$ be a compact manifold of dimension $n$ with boundary. If $\partial M$ is smooth then one has a control on the determinant of the Jacobian of the diffeomorphism in the collar theorem, i.e....
Math101's user avatar
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7 votes
3 answers
305 views

Automatic transfer of pointwise metric computations to bundle computations

$\newcommand{\M}{\mathcal{M}}$ $\newcommand{\N}{\mathcal{N}}$ $\newcommand{\deriv}[2]{\frac{d#1}{d#2}}$ $\newcommand{\sAverage}[1]{\langle#1\rangle} $ $\newcommand{\IP}[2]{\sAverage{#1,#2}}$ $\...
Asaf Shachar's user avatar
  • 6,621
4 votes
1 answer
995 views

Smoothness of the square of the distance function on a Riemannian manifold

Let $(M^n,g)$ be a smooth Riemannian manifold. The distance between two points is the infimum of the lengths of the curves which join the points. Consider the square of the distance function $d^2\...
MatBoss918's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
2k views

Geodesics equation on Lie groups with left invariant metrics

First of all, I am so sorry if this question is not appropriate to be here. I tried to ask something similar on Math Stack Exchange but it didn't have much attention. Any comment and I delete the ...
L.F. Cavenaghi's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
239 views

Tube formula for a hypersurface in a Riemannian manifold

Let $(M,g)$ be a complete Riemannian manifold and $N$ a closed (orientable) hypersuface of $M$. Let $d$ be the signed distance from $N$ and $N_r=\{x\in M: 0<d(x,N)<r\}$. For $r$ small enough $$\...
Math101's user avatar
  • 143
16 votes
3 answers
1k views

SO(3) action on (simply connected) 6 manifold with discrete fixed point

If a 6-dimensional orientable smooth manifold $M$ admits a smooth effective $SO(3)$ action with discrete fixed point set, what can we say about the topology of $M$? What if we assume that in addition ...
Yuhang Liu's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
483 views

What does positivity of the first Pontryagin number of a vector bundle tell us?

Some context: In the theory of compact, oriented Riemannian Einstein 4-manifolds, there is a a fundamental topological constraint that is implied by the Einstein equations. To wit, if $\chi$ and $\...
Brian Klatt's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
575 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 ...
Tong's user avatar
  • 183
6 votes
3 answers
676 views

Parallel transport as algebra isomorphism

Assume that there is an smooth structure of the matrix algebra $M_{n}(\mathbb{R})$ on fibers of the tangent bundle of a $n^2$ dimensional manifold. Is there a Riemannian metric on $M$ such that all ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
240 views

Isomorphism of Complex Stiefel manifold and Homogeneous space of unitary group, and the Stiefel logarithm problem

It is well known that $U(n)/U(n-k) \cong V_k(\mathbb{C}^n)$ where $U(n)$ is the unitary group, and $V_k(\mathbb{C}^n)$ is the appropriate Stielfel manifold. I further understand that $V_k(\mathbb{C}^...
Benjamin's user avatar
  • 2,069
20 votes
4 answers
4k views

Why do people study curve shortening flows?

I've recently been studying Riemannian geometry with goal of studying and doing research in Ricci flow, however, I've been noticing that a lot of work in Riemannian geometry seems to be done in ...
Dominic Wynter's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
724 views

Reverse Toponogov triangle comparison

See the wiki page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toponogov%27s_theorem One consequence of the Toponogov comparison Theorem is that if the sectional curvature of a manifold $M$ is pinched below by a ...
forevenone's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
503 views

A relation between gradient vector field and Hamiltonian vector field

Assume that $U$ is an open subset of $\mathbb{C}^n$. We fix the standard almost complex structure $J$ on $U$. Assume that $\omega$ is an arbitrary symplectic structure on $U$. Is there a Riemannian ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
150 views

Foliation by Asymptotic lines

Suppose $(M,g)$ is a compact Riemannian manifold with boundary. I am interested about existence of surfaces $\Gamma$ embedded in $M$ with the following property: $\Gamma$ is foliated by geodesics (...
Ali's user avatar
  • 4,089
0 votes
2 answers
499 views

Lie algebra of Gradient vector fields(2)

Motivated by this question, is there a $n$ dimensional Riemannian manfold $M$, $n>1$ such that the space of all gradient vector fields is a Lie algebra under the usual Lie bracket ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar

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