Finsler and Kaluza-Klein gauge theories

A comparison of Kaluza-Klein and Finsler-type gauge theories is sketched. It is shown that the two can be related by a mapping between fiber spaces which is equivalent to a transformation from one representation of the gauge group to another. The Finsler theory lends itself to an interpretation of the mapping operators as being geometrically similar to Yang-Mills potentials. The equations of motion in this theory contain fields which are comparable to connections instead of curvatures. This gives a new geometrical framework for unified field theories.