Some Berwald spaces of non-positive flag curvature

In this paper, by using left invariant Riemannian metrics on some three-dimensional Lie groups, we construct some complete non-Riemannian Berwald spaces of non-positive flag curvature and several families of geodesically complete locally Minkowskian spaces of zero constant flag curvature.     

Naturally reductive homogeneous Randers spaces

In this paper, we study naturally reductive Randers metrics on homogeneous manifolds. We first prove that naturally reductive Randers metrics are of Berwald type. We then give an explicit formula for the flag curvature of naturally reductive Randers metrics. Finally a necessary and sufficient condition for invariant Randers metrics on homogeneous manifolds being naturally reductive is given.     

Invariant solutions to the conformal Killing–Yano equation on Lie groups

We search for invariant solutions of the conformal Killing–Yano equation on Lie groups equipped with left invariant Riemannian metrics, focusing on 2-forms. We show that when the Lie group is compact equipped with a bi-invariant metric or 2-step nilpotent, the only invariant solutions occur on the 3-dimensional sphere or on a Heisenberg group. We classify the 3-dimensional Lie groups with left invariant metrics carrying invariant conformal Killing–Yano 2-forms.     

On Ricci tensors of Randers metrics

In this paper, we study Randers metrics and find a condition on the Ricci tensors of these metrics for being Berwaldian. This generalizes Shen’s Theorem which says that every R-flat complete Randers metric is locally Minkowskian. Then we find a necessary and sufficient condition on the Ricci tensors under which a Randers metric of scalar flag curvature is of zero flag curvature.     

Homogeneous geodesics in homogeneous Finsler spaces

In this paper, we study homogeneous geodesics in homogeneous Finsler spaces. We first give a simple criterion that characterizes geodesic vectors. We show that the geodesics on a Lie group, relative to a bi-invariant Finsler metric, are the cosets of the one-parameter subgroups. The existence of infinitely many homogeneous geodesics on the compact semi-simple Lie group is established. We introduce the notion of a naturally reductive homogeneous Finsler space. As a special case, we study homogeneous geodesics in homogeneous Randers spaces. Finally, we study some curvature properties of homogeneous geodesics. In particular, we prove that the S-curvature vanishes along the homogeneous geodesics.     

On Euler–Arnold equations and totally geodesic subgroups

The geodesic motion on a Lie group equipped with a left or right invariant Riemannian metric is governed by the Euler–Arnold equation. This paper investigates conditions on the metric in order for a given subgroup to be totally geodesic. Results on the construction and characterisation of such metrics are given, especially in the special case of easy totally geodesic submanifolds that we introduce. The setting works both in the classical finite dimensional case, and in the category of infinite dimensional Fréchet–Lie groups, in which diffeomorphism groups are included. Using the framework we give new examples of both finite and infinite dimensional totally geodesic subgroups. In particular, based on the cross helicity, we construct right invariant metrics such that a given subgroup of exact volume preserving diffeomorphisms is totally geodesic.     

Homogeneous Einstein–Randers metrics on Aloff–Wallach spaces

Aloff–Wallach spaces are important in the study of positively curved homogeneous Riemannian manifolds. In this paper, we find some homogeneous Einstein–Randers metrics on such spaces.     

The isometry groups of simply connected 3-dimensional unimodular Lie groups

For each simply connected 3-dimensional unimodular Lie group the left invariant Riemannian metrics up to automorphism are classified in Ha and Lee (2009) [2]. Using this classification, we determine on each such a Lie group the full group of isometries which depends on left invariant Riemannian metrics.     

The Ricci flow approach to homogeneous Einstein metrics on flag manifolds

We give a global picture of the normalized Ricci flow on generalized flag manifolds with two or three isotropy summands. The normalized Ricci flow for these spaces reduces to a parameter-dependent system of two or three ordinary differential equations, respectively. Here, we present a qualitative study of these systems’ global phase portrait, which uses techniques of dynamical systems theory. This study allows us to draw conclusions about the existence and the analytical form of invariant Einstein metrics on such manifolds and seems to offer a better insight to the classification problem of invariant Einstein metrics on compact homogeneous spaces.     

Growth conditions, Riemannian completeness and Lorentzian causality

The stationary-Randers correspondence (SRC) provides a deep connection between the property of standard stationary spacetimes being globally hyperbolic, and the completeness of certain Finsler metrics of Randers type defined on the fibres. In order to establish further results, we investigate pointwise conformal transformations of certain Riemannian metrics on the fibres and growth conditions on the corresponding conformal factors. In general, a conformal transformation may map a complete Riemannian metric onto a complete or incomplete metric. We prove a theorem for the growth of the conformal factor such that the conformally transformed Riemannian metric is also complete. As an application, we establish novel relations between the completeness of Riemannian metrics, growth conditions on conformal factors and the Cauchy hypersurface condition on the fibres of a standard stationary spacetime. These results also imply new conditions for the completeness of Randers-type metrics by the application of the SRC.     

A left-symmetric algebraic approach to left invariant flat (pseudo-)metrics on Lie groups

Left invariant flat metrics on Lie groups are revisited in terms of left-symmetric algebras which correspond to affine structures. There is a left-symmetric algebraic approach with an explicit formula to the classification theorem given by Milnor. When the positive definiteness of the metric is replaced by nondegeneracy, there are many more examples of left invariant flat pseudo-metrics, which play important roles in several fields in geometry and mathematical physics. We give certain explicit constructions of these structures. Their classification in low dimensions and some interesting examples in higher dimensions are also given.     

Locally Homogeneous Four-Dimensional Manifolds of Signature (2,2)

In this paper we consider 4-dimensional neutral-signature curvature models and obtain the complete classification of the Ricci operator. We then consider the property of curvature homogeneity for the above manifolds and prove that every complete, connected and simply connected 1-curvature homogeneous 4-dimensional manifold of signature (2,2) with a non-degenerate Ricci operator is isometric to a four-dimensional Lie group equipped with a left invariant neutral metric. We also classify Ricci-parallel curvature homogeneous 4-dimensional manifolds of signature (2,2).     

Contractions, Deformations and Curvature

The role of curvature in relation with Lie algebra contractions of the pseudo-orthogonal algebras so(p,q) is fully described by considering some associated symmetrical homogeneous spaces of constant curvature within a Cayley–Klein framework. We show that a given Lie algebra contraction can be interpreted geometrically as the zero-curvature limit of some underlying homogeneous space with constant curvature. In particular, we study in detail the contraction process for the three classical Riemannian spaces (spherical, Euclidean, hyperbolic), three non-relativistic (Newtonian) spacetimes and three relativistic ((anti-)de Sitter and Minkowskian) spacetimes. Next, from a different perspective, we make use of quantum deformations of Lie algebras in order to construct a family of spaces of non-constant curvature that can be interpreted as deformations of the above nine spaces. In this framework, the quantum deformation parameter is identified as the parameter that controls the curvature of such “quantum” spaces.     

On Randers spaces of constant flag curvature

This paper concerns a ubiquitous class of Finsler metrics on smooth manifolds of dimension n. These are the Randers metrics. They figure prominently in both the theory and the applications of Finsler geometry. For n ≥ 3, we consider only those with constant flag curvature. For n = 2, we focus on those whose flag curvature is a (possibly constant) function of position only. We characterize such metrics by three efficient conditions. With the help of examples in 2 and 3 dimensions, we deduce that the Yasuda-Shimada classification of Randers space forms actually addresses only a special case. The corrected classification for that special case is sharp, holds for n ≥ 2, and follows readily from our three necessary and sufficient conditions.     

A remark about static space times

We discuss a differential equation, whose unknowns are a function and a Riemannian metric. This equation occurs both in general relativity (static space times) and in the study of the space of Riemannian metrics on a manifold (singularities of the map from the space of metrics into the space of functions, which assigns to any metric its scalar curvature).     

Minimal orbits of metrics

The group of diffeomorphisms of a compact manifold acts isometrically on the space of Riemannian metrics with its L² metric. Following Arnaudon and Paycha (1995) and Maeda, Rosenberg and Tondeur (1993), we define minimal orbits for this action by a zeta function regularization. We show that odd dimensional isotropy irreducible homogeneous spaces give rise to minimal orbits, the first known examples of minimal submanifolds of infinite dimension and codimension. We also find a flat 2-torus giving a stable minimal orbit. We prove that isolated orbits are minimal, as in finite dimensions.     

Principal mappings of 3-dimensional Riemannian spaces into spaces of constant curvature

As is well-known, the Gauss theorem, according to which any 2-dimensional Riemannian metric can be mapped locally conformally into an euclidean space, does not hold in three dimensions. We define in this paper transformations of a new type, that we call principal. They map 3-dimensional spaces into spaces of constant curvature. We give a few explicit examples of principal transformations and we prove, at the linear approximation, that any metric deviating not too much from the euclidean metric can be mapped by a principal transformation into the euclidean metric.     

LEFT-INVARIANT PSEUDO-EINSTEIN METRICS ON LIE GROUPS

In this article, we focus on left-invariant pseudo-Einstein metrics on Lie groups. To begin with, we give some examples of pseudo-Einstein metrics on Lie groups. Also we calculate the Levi-civita connection, and then Ricci tensor associated with left-invariant pseudo-Riemannian metrics on the unimodular Lie groups of dimension three. Furthermore, we show that the left-invariant pseudo-Einstein metric on SL(2) is unique up to a constant. At last, we study the left-invariant pseudo-Riemannian metrics on compact Lie groups and classify the pseudo-Einstein metrics on the low-dimensional compact Lie groups.     

Quadratic metric‐affine gravity

We consider spacetime to be a connected real 4‐manifold equipped with a Lorentzian metric and an affine connection. The 10 independent components of the (symmetric) metric tensor and the 64 connection coefficients are the unknowns of our theory. We introduce an action which is (purely) quadratic in curvature and study the resulting system of Euler–Lagrange equations. In the first part of the paper we look for Riemannian solutions, i.e. solutions whose connection is Levi‐Civita. We find two classes of Riemannian solutions: 1) Einstein spaces, and 2) spacetimes with pp‐wave metric of parallel Ricci curvature. We prove that for a generic quadratic action these are the only Riemannian solutions. In the second part of the paper we look for non‐Riemannian solutions. We define the notion of a “Weyl pseudoinstanton” (metric compatible spacetime whose curvature is purely of Weyl type) and prove that a Weyl pseudoinstanton is a solution of our field equations. Using the pseudoinstanton approach we construct explicitly a non‐Riemannian solution which is a wave of torsion in a spacetime with Minkowski metric. We discuss the possibility of using this non‐Riemannian solution as a mathematical model for the neutrino.     

Diffeomorphisms and orthonormal frames

There is a natural homomorphism of Lie pseudoalgebras from local vector fields to local rotations on a Riemannian manifold. We address the question whether this homomorphism is unique and give a positive answer in the perturbative regime around the flat metric.