arXivDaily arXiv每日学术速递 周一至周五更新
arXiv math/0610082math.DG
收藏

二阶常微分方程对与欧几里得空间的几何

Geometry of a pair of second-order ODEs and Euclidean spaces

Richard Atkins

摘要:

本文研究了一组微分方程和与之相关的几何之间的关系,曲面的几何确定了连接附近点的最短路径或测地线,它们被定义为一对二阶微分方程的解:弧长作用的欧拉-拉格朗日方程。我们要问的是,什么时候相反的情况成立,也就是说,什么时候微分方程的解揭示了一个潜在的几何结构。具体地说,什么时候可以重新参数化一对二阶常微分方程的解,以便局部地给出欧几里得空间的测地线?我们的方法是基于嘉当的等效方法。在本文的第二部分中,解决了一对通用的二阶常微分方程的等价性问题,揭示了24个不变函数的存在性。

英文摘要:

This paper investigates the relationship between a system of differential equations and the underlying geometry associated with it. The geometry of a surface determines shortest paths, or geodesics connecting nearby points, which are defined as the solutions to a pair of second-order differential equations: the Euler-Lagrange equations of the arclength action. We ask when the converse holds, that is, when solutions to a system of differential equations reveals an underlying geometry. Specifically, when may the solutions to a pair of second-order ordinary differential equations be reparameterized so as to give, locally, the geodesics of a Euclidean space? Our approach is based upon Cartan's method of equivalence. In the second part of the paper, the equivalence problem is solved for a generic pair of second-order ODEs revealing the existence of 24 invariant functions.

机构、总结、中文摘要均由AI分析而来,可能存在错误,请以论文正文为准。

↑