On a Finsler manifold $(M,L)$, we consider the change $L\longrightarrow\bar{L}(x,y)=e^{σ(x)}L(x,y)+β(x,y)$, which we call a $β$-conformal change. This change generalizes various types of changes in Finsler geometry: conformal, $C$-conformal, $h$-conformal, Randers and generalized Randers changes. Under this change, we obtain an explicit expression relating the Cartan connection associated to $(M,L)$ and the transformed Cartan connection associated to $(M,\bar{L})$. We also express some of the fundamental geometric objects (canonical spray, nonlinear connection, torsion tensors, ...etc.) of $(M,\bar{L})$ in terms of the corresponding objects of $(M,L)$. We characterize the $β$-homothetic change and give necessary and sufficient conditions for the vanishing of the difference tensor in certain cases. It is to be noted that many known results of Shibata, Matsumoto, Hashiguchi and others are retrieved as special cases from this work.
The norm of Cartan torsion plays an important role for studying of immersion theory in Finsler geometry. Indeed, Finsler manifold with unbounded Cartan torsion can not be isometrically imbedded into any Minkowski space. In this paper, we find two subclasses of (?, ?)-metrics which have bounded Cartan torsion. Then, we give two subclasses of (?, ?)-metrics whose bound on the Cartan torsions are independent of the norm of ?.
Using the Pontryagin Maximum Principle for the time-optimal problem in coordinates of the first kind, we find extremals of abitrary left-invariant sub-Finsler quasimetric on the Cartan group defined by a distribution of rank two.
In this paper we study a sub-Finsler geometric problem on the free-nilpotent group of rank 2 and step 3. Such a group is also called Cartan group and has a natural structure of Carnot group, which we metrize considering the $\ell_\infty$ norm on its first layer. We adopt the point of view of time-optimal control theory. We characterize extremal curves via Pontryagin maximum principle. We describe abnormal and singular arcs, and construct the bang-bang flow.
An (I,J,K)-generalized Finsler structure on a 3-manifold is a generalization of a Finslerian structure, introduced in order to separate and clarify the local and global aspects in Finsler geometry making use of the Cartan's method of exterior differential systems. In this paper, we show that there is a close relation between (I,J,1)-generalized Finsler structures and a class of contact circles, namely the so-called Cartan structures. This correspondence allows us to determine the topology of 3-manifolds that admit (I, J, 1)-generalized Finsler structures and to single out classes of (I, J, 1)-…
This paper is a continuation of the work by the same authors on the Cartan group equipped with the sub-Finsler $\ell_\infty$ norm. We start by giving a detailed presentation of the structure of bang-bang extremal trajectories. Then we prove upper bounds on the number of switchings on bang-bang minimizers. We prove that any normal extremal is either bang-bang, or singular, or mixed. Consequently, we study mixed extremals. In particular, we prove that every two points can be connected by a piecewise smooth minimizer, and we give a uniform bound on the number of such pieces.
Finsleroid-Finsler metrics form an important class of singular (y-local) Finsler metrics. They were introduced by G. S. Asanov [2] in 2006. As the special case of the general construction Asanov produced singular (y - local) examples of Landsberg spaces of dimension at least three that are not of Berwald type. The existence of regular (y - global) Landsberg metrics that are not of Berwald type is an open problem up to this day; for a detailed exposition of the so-called unicorn problem in Finsler geometry see D. Bao [3]. In this paper we are going to characterize the Finsleroid-Finsler metrics…
The Klein-Grifone approach to global Finsler geometry is adopted. The nullity distributions of the three curvature tensors of Cartan connection are investigated. Nullity distributions concerning certain relevant special Finsler spaces are considered. Concrete examples are given whenever the situation needs.
The book contains a collection of works on Riemann-Cartan and metric-affine manifolds provided with nonlinear connection structure and on generalized Finsler-Lagrange and Cartan-Hamilton geometries and Clifford structures modelled on such manifolds. The choice of material presented has evolved from various applications in modern gravity and geometric mechanics and certain generalizations to noncommutative Riemann-Finsler geometry. The authors develop and use the method of anholonomic frames with associated nonlinear connection structure and apply it to a number of concrete problems: constructi…
In this paper, we identify the Bott connection on the natural foliation of the projective sphere bundle of a Finsler manifold to the Chern connection of this manifold. As a consequence, the symmetrization of the Bott connection turns out to be the Cartan connection of the Finsler manifold. Following Liu-Zhang \cite{LiuZ}, the Cartan connection can also be obtained through an adiabatic limit process. Furthermore, a Chern-Simons type form is defined and its conformal properties are discussed.
The objective of this article is to build up a general theory of geometrical optics for spinning light rays in an inhomogeneous and anisotropic medium modeled on a Finsler manifold. The prerequisites of local Finsler geometry are reviewed together with the main properties of the Cartan connection used in this work. Then, the principles of Finslerian spinoptics are formulated on the grounds of previous work on Riemannian spinoptics, and relying on the generic coadjoint orbits of the Euclidean group. A new presymplectic structure on the indicatrix-bundle is introduced, which gives rise to a foli…
The present paper unifies some aspects concerning the vertical Liouville distributions on the tangent (cotangent) bundle of a Finsler (Cartan) space in the context of generalized geometry. More exactly, we consider the big-tangent manifold $\mathcal{T}M$ associated to a Finsler space $(M,F)$ and of its $\mathcal{L}$-dual which is a Cartan space $(M,K)$ and we define three Liouville distributions on $\mathcal{T}M$ which are integrable. We also find geometric properties of both leaves of Liouville distribution and the vertical distribution in our context.
We develop the method of anholonomic frames with associated nonlinear connection (in brief, N--connection) structure and show explicitly how geometries with local anisotropy (various type of Finsler--Lagrange--Cartan--Hamilton geometry) can be modeled in the metric--affine spaces. There are formulated the criteria when such generalized Finsler metrics are effectively induced in the Einstein, teleparallel, Riemann--Cartan and metric--affine gravity. We argue that every generic off--diagonal metric (which can not be diagonalized by coordinate transforms) is related to specific N--connection conf…
The aim of this paper is to develop on the 1-jet space J^1(R, M^n) the Finsler-like geometry (in the sense of distinguished (d-) connection, d-torsions, d-curvatures and some gravitational-like and electromagnetic-like geometrical models) attached to the (t,x)-conformal deformation of the Berwald-Moor metric.
We investigate the Cartan and Finsler geometry of the rotating Kepler problem, a limit case of the restricted three body problem that arises if the mass of the one of the primaries goes to zero. We show that the Hamiltonian for the rotating Kepler problem can be regarded as the Legendre transform of a certain family of Finsler metrics on the two-sphere. For very negative energy levels, these Finsler metrics are close to the round metric, and the associated flag curvature is hence positive. On the other hand, we show that the flag curvature can become negative once the energy level becomes suff…
The present paper is a continuation of a foregoing paper [Tensor, N. S., 69 (2008), 155-178]. The main aim is to establish \emph{an intrinsic investigation} of the conformal change of the most important special Finsler spaces, namely, $C^{h}$-recurrent, $C^{v}$-recurrent, $C^{0}$-recurrent, $C_{2}$-like, quasi-$C$-reducible, $C$-reducible, Berwald space, $S^{v}$-recurrent, $P^*$-Finsler manifold, $R_{3}$-like, $P$-symmetric, Finsler manifold of $p$-scalar curvature and Finsler manifold of $s$-$ps$-curvature. Necessary and sufficient conditions for such special Finsler manifolds to be invariant…
In this paper, we introduce and investigate a general transformation or change of Finsler metrics, which is referred to as a generalized $β$-conformal change: $$L(x,y) \longrightarrow\overline{L}(x,y) = f(e^{σ(x)}L(x,y),β(x,y)).$$ This transformation combines both $β$-change and conformal change in a general setting. The change, under this transformation, of the fundamental Finsler connections, together with their associated geometric objects, are obtained. Some invariants and various special Finsler spaces are investigated under this change. The most important changes of Finsler metrics exist…
In this paper, we prove that lightlike geodesics of a pseudo-Finsler manifold and its focal points are preserved up to reparametrization by anisotropic conformal changes, using the Chern connection and the anisotropic calculus and the fact that geodesics are critical points of the energy functional and Jacobi fields, the kernel of its index form. This result has applications to the study of Finsler spacetimes.
The conformal properties of complex Finsler metrics are studied. We give a characterization of a compact complex Finsler manifold to be globally conformal Kähler. The critical points of the total holomorphic curvature and total Ricci curvature in the volume preserved conformal classes are studied. The stability of critical Kähler Finsler metrics is obtained. A Yamabe type problem for mean Ricci curvature is considered.
Recently, we have studied the Finsler space with h-Matsumoto change and found Cartan connection for the transformed space [2]. In this paper, we have discussed certain geometrical properties of the hypersurface of a Finsler space for the h-Matsumoto change.
Let $R$ be the $hh$-curvature associated with the Chern connection or the Cartan connection. Adopting the pulled-back tangent bundle approach to the Finslerian Geometry, an intrinsic characterization of $R$-Einstein metrics is given. Finslerian metrics which are locally conformally $R$-Einstein are classified.
In this paper, we studied a Finsler space whose metric is given by an h-exponential change and obtain the Cartan connection coefficients for the change. We also find the necessary and sufficient condition for an h-exponential change of Finsler metric to be projective.
The paper aims to initiate a systematic study of conformal mappings between Finsler spacetimes and, more generally, between pseudo-Finsler spaces. This is done by extending several results in pseudo-Riemannian geometry which are necessary for field-theoretical applications and by proposing a technique which reduces a series of problems involving pseudo-Finslerian conformal vector fields to their pseudo-Riemannian counterparts. Also, we point out, by constructing classes of examples, that conformal groups of flat (locally Minkowskian) pseudo-Finsler spaces can be much richer than both flat Fins…
The book "Handbook of Finsler geometry" has been included with a CD containing an elegant Maple package, FINSLER, for calculations in Finsler geometry. Using this package, an example concerning a Finsler generalization of Einstein's vacuum field equations was treated. In this example, the calculation of the components of the hv-curvature of Cartan connection leads to wrong expressions. On the other hand, the FINSLER package works only in dimension four. We introduce a new Finsler package in which we fix the two problems and solve them. Moreover, we extend this package to compute not only the g…
Recently we have obtained the Cartan connection for the Finsler space whose metric is given by an exponential change with an h-vector. In this paper, we discuss certain geometric properties of a Finslerian hyperspace subjected to an h-exponential change of metric.
We study the relation between an R-Cartan structure α and an (I, J, K)- generalized Finsler structure on a 3-manifold showing the difficulty in finding a general transformation that maps these structures each other. In some particular cases, the mapping can be uniquely determined by geometrical conditions.
We explore a connection between the Finslerian area functional and well-investigated Cartan functionals to prove new Bernstein theorems, uniqueness and removability results for Finsler-minimal graphs, as well as enclosure theorems and isoperimetric inequalities for minimal immersions in Finsler spaces. In addition, we establish the existence of smooth Finsler-minimal immersions spanning given extreme or graphlike boundary contours.
Adopting the pullback approach to global Finsler geometry, the aim of the present paper is to provide new intrinsic (coordinate-free) proofs of intrinsic versions of the existence and uniqueness theorems for the Cartan and Berwald connections on a Finsler manifold. To accomplish this, the notions of semispray and nonlinear connection associated with a given regular connection, in the pullback bundle, is introduced and investigated. Moreover, it is shown that for the Cartan and Berwald connections, the associated semispray coincides with the canonical spray and the associated nonlinear connecti…
We investigate what we call a conformal $β$ - change in Finsler spaces, namely $$ L(x,y)\to ~^{\ast}L(x,y)=e^{σ(x)}L(x,y)+β(x,y)$$ where~$σ~$ is a function of $x~ only ~and ~ β(x, y)$ is a given 1- form. This change generalizes various types of changes: conformal changes, Randers changes and $β$ - changes. Under this change, we obtain the relationships between some tensors associated with $(M,L)$ and the corresponding tensors associated with $(M,{^\ast}L)$. We investigate some $σ$- invariant tensors . This investigation allows us to give an answer to the question: Are the properties of C-reduc…
From the point of view of index theory, we give a simple proof of a Gauss-Bonnet-Chern formula for all Finsler manifolds by the Cartan connection. Based on this, we establish a Gauss-Bonnet-Chern formula for any metric-compatible connection and also derive the Gauss-Bonnet-Chern formula of Lackey.
Applying concepts and tools from classical tangent bundle geometry and using the apparatus of the calculus along the tangent bundle projection ('pull-back formalism'), first we enrich the known lists of the characterizations of affine vector fields on a spray manifold and conformal vector fields on a Finsler manifold. Second, we deduce consequences on vector fields on the underlying manifold of a Finsler structure having one or two of the mentioned geometric properties.
The aim of the present paper is to provide an \emph{intrinsic} investigation of the properties of the most important geometric objects associated with the fundamental linear connections in Finsler geometry. We investigate intrinsically the most general relations concerning the torsion tensor fields and the curvature tensor fields associated with a given regular connection on the pullback bundle of a Finsler manifold. These relations, in turn, play a key role in obtaining other interesting results concerning the properties of the most important geometric objects associated with the fundamental …
The work extends the A. Connes' noncommutative geometry to spaces with generic local anisotropy. We apply the E. Cartan's anholonomic frame approach to geometrical models and physical theories and develop the nonlinear connection formalism for projective module spaces. Examples of noncommutative generation of anholonomic Riemann, Finsler and Lagrange spaces are analyzed. We also present a research on noncommutative Finsler--gauge theories, generalized Finsler gravity and anholonomic (pseudo) Riemann geometry which appear naturally if anholonomic frames (vierbeins) are defined in the context of…
The geometry of nonholonomic bundle gerbes, provided with nonlinear connection structure, and nonholonomic gerbe modules is elaborated as the theory of Clifford modules on nonholonomic manifolds which positively fail to be spin. We explore an approach to such nonholonomic Dirac operators and derive the related Atiyah-Singer index formulas. There are considered certain applications in modern gravity and geometric mechanics of such Clifford-Lagrange/ Finsler gerbes and their realizations as nonholonomic Clifford and Riemann-Cartan modules.
We prove the Finsler analog of the conformal Lichnerowicz-Obata conjecture showing that a complete and essential conformal vector field on a non-Riemannian Finsler manifold is a homothetic vector field of a Minkowski metric.
In Finsler geometry the complete lift vector fields have distinguished geometric significance. For example a vector field on a Finsler manifold is said to be conformal if its complete lift is conformal in usual sense. In this work we define a new Riemannian or Pseudo-Riemannian metric on TM derived from a Finsler metric on the base manifold M. This metric is in some senses more general than the other lift metrics defined previously on TM and then we study the complete lift vector fields on TM. More precisely we prove; Let (M,g) be a Finsler manifold, TM its tangent bundle and G a Riemannian me…
In this paper, we investigate the change of Finslr metrics $$L(x,y) \to\bar{L}(x,y) = f(e^{σ(x)}L(x,y),β(x,y)),$$ which we refer to as a generalized $β$-conformal change. Under this change, we study some special Finsler spaces, namely, quasi C-reducible, semi C-reducible, C-reducible, $C_2$-like, $S_3$-like and $S_4$-like Finsler spaces. We also obtain the transformation of the T-tensor under this change and study some interesting special cases. We then impose a certain condition on the generalized $β$-conformal change, which we call the b-condition, and investigate the geometric consequences …
In this paper we adopt the pullback approach to global Finsler geometry. We investigate horizontally recurrent Finsler connections. We prove that for each scalar ($π$)1-form $A$, there exists a unique horizontally recurrent Finsler connection whose $h$-recurrence form is $A$. This result generalizes the existence and uniqueness theorem of Cartan connection. We then study some properties of a special kind of horizontally recurrent Finsler connection, which we call special HRF-connection.
We elaborate an unified geometric approach to classical mechanics, Riemann-Finsler spaces and gravity theories on Lie algebroids provided with nonlinear connection (N-connection) structure. There are investigated the conditions when the fundamental geometric objects like the anchor, metric and linear connection, almost sympletic and related almost complex structures may be canonically defined by a N-connection induced from a regular Lagrangian (or Hamiltonian), in mechanical models, or by generic off-diagonal metric terms and nonholonomic frames, in gravity theories. Such geometric constructio…
In this paper, it is proved that any conformal vector field is homothetic on a locally projectively flat $(α,β)$-space of non-Randers type in dimension $n\ge 3$, and the local solutions of such a vector field are determined. While on a locally projectively flat Randers space, examples showthat the conformal vector fields are not necessarily homothetic.
We explore a connection between the Finslerian area functional based on the Busemann-Hausdorff-volume form, and well-investigated Cartan functionals to solve Plateau's problem in Finsler 3-space, and prove higher regularity of solutions. Free and semi-free geometric boundary value problems, as well as the Douglas problem in Finsler space can be dealt with in the same way. We also provide a simple isoperimetric inequality for minimal surfaces in Finsler spaces.
The concept of h-vector was introduced by H. Izumi in 1980. Recently we have obtained the Cartan connection for the Finsler space whose metric is given by Kropina change with an h-vector. In 1985, M. Matsumoto studied the theory of Finsler hypersurface. In this paper, we derive certain geometrical properties of a Finslerian hypersurface subjected to a Kropina change with an h-vector
Some general Finsler connections are defined. Emphasis is being made on the Cartan tensor and its derivatives. Vanishing of the hv-curvature tensors of these connections characterizes Landsbergian, Berwaldian as well as Riemannian structures. This view point makes it possible to give a smart representation of connection theory in Finsler geometry and yields to a classification of Finsler connections. Some practical applications of these connections are also considered.
In this paper, we first give two fundamental principles under a technique to characterize conformal vector fields of $(α,β)$ spaces to be homothetic and determine the local structure of those homothetic fields. Then we use the principles to study conformal vector fields of some classes of $(α,β)$ spaces under certain curvature conditions. Besides, we construct a family of non-homothetic conformal vector fields on a family of locally projectively Randers spaces.
The paper develops the Finsler-like geometry on the 1-jet space for the jet conformal Minkowski (JCM) metric, which naturally extends the Minkowski metric in the Chernov-Pavlov framework. To this aim there are determined the nonlinear connection, distinguished (d-) Cartan linear connection, d-torsions and d-curvatures. The field geometrical gravitational and electromagnetic d-models based on the JCM metric are discussed.
Thurston, in 1986, discovered that the Schwarzian derivative has mysterious properties similar to the curvature on a manifold. After his work, there are several approaches to develop this notion on Riemannian manifolds. Here, a tensor field is identified in the study of global conformal diffeomorphisms on Finsler manifolds as a natural generalization of the Schwarzian derivative. Then, a natural definition of a Mobius mapping on Finsler manifolds is given and its properties are studied. In particular, it is shown that Mobius mappings are mappings that preserve circles and vice versa. Therefore…
A geodesic circle in Finsler geometry is a natural extension of that in a Euclidean space. In this paper, we apply Lie derivatives and the Cartan $Y$-connection to study geodesic circles and (infinitesimal) concircular transformations on a Finsler manifold. We characterize a concircular vector field with some PDEs on the tangent bundle, and then we obtain respective necessary and sufficient conditions for a concircular vector field to be conformal and a conformal vector field to be concircular. We also show conditions for two conformally related Finsler metrics to be concircular, and obtain so…
In this paper we prove several multiplicity results of $t$-periodic light rays in conformally stationary spacetimes using the Fermat metric and the extensions of the classical theorems of Gromoll-Meyer and Bangert-Hingston to Finsler manifolds. Moreover, we exhibit some stationary spacetimes with a finite number of $t$-periodic light rays and compute a lower bound for the period of the light rays when the flag curvature of the Fermat metric is $η$-pinched.
Adopting the pullback formalism, a new linear connection in Finsler geometry has been introduced and investigated. Such connection unifies all formerly known Finsler connections and some other connections not introduced so far. Also, our connection is a Finslerian version of the Tripathi connection introduced in Riemannian geometry. The existence and uniqueness of such connection is proved intrinsically. An explicit intrinsic expression relating this connection to Cartan connection is obtained. Some generalized Finsler connections are constructed from Tripathi Finsler connection, by applying t…
The present paper deals with an \emph{intrinsic} investigation of the notion of a concurrent $π$-vector field on the pullback bundle of a Finsler manifold $(M,L)$. The effect of the existence of a concurrent $π$-vector field on some important special Finsler spaces is studied. An intrinsic investigation of a particular $β$-change, namely the energy $β$-change ($\widetilde{L}^{2}(x,y)=L^{2}(x,y)+ B^{2}(x,y) with \ B:=g(\barζ,\barη)$; $\barζ $ being a concurrent $π$-vector field), is established. The relation between the two Barthel connections $Γ$ and $\widetildeΓ$, corresponding to this change…
Here, by extending the definition of circle to Finsler geometry, we show that, every circle-preserving local diffeomorphism is conformal. This result implies that in Finsler geometry, the definition of concircular change of metrics, a priori, does not require the conformal assumption.
The Finslerian unit ball is called the {\it Finsleroid} if the covering indicatrix is a space of constant curvature. We prove that Finsler spaces with such indicatrices possess the remarkable property that the tangent spaces are conformally flat with the conformal factor of the power dependence on the Finsler metric function. It is amazing but the fact that in such spaces the notion of the two-vector angle defined by the geodesic arc on the indicatrix can readily be induced from the Riemannian space obtained upon the conformal transformation, which opens up the straightforward way to induce al…
Here, the concept of electric capacity on Finsler spaces is introduced and the fundamental conformal invariant property is proved, i.e. the capacity of a compact set on a connected non-compact Finsler manifold is conformal invariant. This work enables mathematicians and theoretical physicists to become more familiar with the global Finsler geometry and one of its new applications.
The aim of the present paper is to establish a global theory of conformal changes in Finsler geometry. Under this change, we obtain the relationships between the most important geometric objects associated to $(M,L)$ and the corresponding objects associated to $(M,\tilde{L})$, $\widetilde{L}=e^{σ(x)} L$ being the Finsler conformal transformation. We have found explicit global expressions relating the two associated Cartan connections $\nabla$ and $\widetilde{\nabla}$, the two associated Berwald connections $D$ and $\widetilde{D}$ and the two associated Barthel connections $Γ$ and $\widetildeΓ$…
