Covariant derivative (or connection) of and along a curve
$begingroup$
Let $c:[a,b] rightarrow M$ be a curve parametrized by arc-length.
Then $c': [a,b] rightarrow TM$ such that $c'(t) in T_{c(t)}(M).$
So essentially, I want to understand how $nabla_{c'}c'$ is defined then in coordinates.
Cause normally, we are dealing with vector fields $X : M rightarrow TM$ when we talk about the covariant derivative or connection.
In this case, we have for $X,Y: M rightarrow TM$ that $X= sum_{i} eta^i partial_i$ and $Y = sum_{i} zeta^i partial_i$
In this case,
$$nabla_YX = sum_{i,j,k} zeta^i( eta^j Gamma_{i,j}^k partial_k + partial_i eta^j partial_j)$$
and everything is well-defined.
The problem occurs, cause $c' : [a,b] rightarrow TM$ so there is no way we can take a partial derivative in some coordinate direction of $c',$
as it just depends on time. Is there still a way to explain how $nabla_c'c'$ is for example defined, although $c'$ is not really a vector field?
real-analysis analysis differential-geometry differential-topology covariance
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Let $c:[a,b] rightarrow M$ be a curve parametrized by arc-length.
Then $c': [a,b] rightarrow TM$ such that $c'(t) in T_{c(t)}(M).$
So essentially, I want to understand how $nabla_{c'}c'$ is defined then in coordinates.
Cause normally, we are dealing with vector fields $X : M rightarrow TM$ when we talk about the covariant derivative or connection.
In this case, we have for $X,Y: M rightarrow TM$ that $X= sum_{i} eta^i partial_i$ and $Y = sum_{i} zeta^i partial_i$
In this case,
$$nabla_YX = sum_{i,j,k} zeta^i( eta^j Gamma_{i,j}^k partial_k + partial_i eta^j partial_j)$$
and everything is well-defined.
The problem occurs, cause $c' : [a,b] rightarrow TM$ so there is no way we can take a partial derivative in some coordinate direction of $c',$
as it just depends on time. Is there still a way to explain how $nabla_c'c'$ is for example defined, although $c'$ is not really a vector field?
real-analysis analysis differential-geometry differential-topology covariance
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
Here is one way: think of $c'$ as a section of the pull-back bundle $c^*TM$ over $[a,b]$. Then $nabla_c' c'$ can be thought of as the derivative of $c'$ in the time direction: $(c^*nabla)_{d/dt} c'$.
$endgroup$
– Braindead
May 13 '15 at 14:05
$begingroup$
You can also extend the vector field "trivially" within a coordinate patch.
$endgroup$
– Braindead
May 13 '15 at 14:08
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Let $c:[a,b] rightarrow M$ be a curve parametrized by arc-length.
Then $c': [a,b] rightarrow TM$ such that $c'(t) in T_{c(t)}(M).$
So essentially, I want to understand how $nabla_{c'}c'$ is defined then in coordinates.
Cause normally, we are dealing with vector fields $X : M rightarrow TM$ when we talk about the covariant derivative or connection.
In this case, we have for $X,Y: M rightarrow TM$ that $X= sum_{i} eta^i partial_i$ and $Y = sum_{i} zeta^i partial_i$
In this case,
$$nabla_YX = sum_{i,j,k} zeta^i( eta^j Gamma_{i,j}^k partial_k + partial_i eta^j partial_j)$$
and everything is well-defined.
The problem occurs, cause $c' : [a,b] rightarrow TM$ so there is no way we can take a partial derivative in some coordinate direction of $c',$
as it just depends on time. Is there still a way to explain how $nabla_c'c'$ is for example defined, although $c'$ is not really a vector field?
real-analysis analysis differential-geometry differential-topology covariance
$endgroup$
Let $c:[a,b] rightarrow M$ be a curve parametrized by arc-length.
Then $c': [a,b] rightarrow TM$ such that $c'(t) in T_{c(t)}(M).$
So essentially, I want to understand how $nabla_{c'}c'$ is defined then in coordinates.
Cause normally, we are dealing with vector fields $X : M rightarrow TM$ when we talk about the covariant derivative or connection.
In this case, we have for $X,Y: M rightarrow TM$ that $X= sum_{i} eta^i partial_i$ and $Y = sum_{i} zeta^i partial_i$
In this case,
$$nabla_YX = sum_{i,j,k} zeta^i( eta^j Gamma_{i,j}^k partial_k + partial_i eta^j partial_j)$$
and everything is well-defined.
The problem occurs, cause $c' : [a,b] rightarrow TM$ so there is no way we can take a partial derivative in some coordinate direction of $c',$
as it just depends on time. Is there still a way to explain how $nabla_c'c'$ is for example defined, although $c'$ is not really a vector field?
real-analysis analysis differential-geometry differential-topology covariance
real-analysis analysis differential-geometry differential-topology covariance
edited May 13 '15 at 13:49
BanachSteinhaus
asked May 13 '15 at 13:31
BanachSteinhausBanachSteinhaus
193
193
$begingroup$
Here is one way: think of $c'$ as a section of the pull-back bundle $c^*TM$ over $[a,b]$. Then $nabla_c' c'$ can be thought of as the derivative of $c'$ in the time direction: $(c^*nabla)_{d/dt} c'$.
$endgroup$
– Braindead
May 13 '15 at 14:05
$begingroup$
You can also extend the vector field "trivially" within a coordinate patch.
$endgroup$
– Braindead
May 13 '15 at 14:08
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Here is one way: think of $c'$ as a section of the pull-back bundle $c^*TM$ over $[a,b]$. Then $nabla_c' c'$ can be thought of as the derivative of $c'$ in the time direction: $(c^*nabla)_{d/dt} c'$.
$endgroup$
– Braindead
May 13 '15 at 14:05
$begingroup$
You can also extend the vector field "trivially" within a coordinate patch.
$endgroup$
– Braindead
May 13 '15 at 14:08
$begingroup$
Here is one way: think of $c'$ as a section of the pull-back bundle $c^*TM$ over $[a,b]$. Then $nabla_c' c'$ can be thought of as the derivative of $c'$ in the time direction: $(c^*nabla)_{d/dt} c'$.
$endgroup$
– Braindead
May 13 '15 at 14:05
$begingroup$
Here is one way: think of $c'$ as a section of the pull-back bundle $c^*TM$ over $[a,b]$. Then $nabla_c' c'$ can be thought of as the derivative of $c'$ in the time direction: $(c^*nabla)_{d/dt} c'$.
$endgroup$
– Braindead
May 13 '15 at 14:05
$begingroup$
You can also extend the vector field "trivially" within a coordinate patch.
$endgroup$
– Braindead
May 13 '15 at 14:08
$begingroup$
You can also extend the vector field "trivially" within a coordinate patch.
$endgroup$
– Braindead
May 13 '15 at 14:08
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
HINT: Write $c'(t) = sumlimits_i a^i(t)partial_ibig|_{c(t)}$. Then recall that for any vector field $X$ we can compute $nabla_{c'}X = dfrac D{dt}(Xcirc c)(t)$.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
but isn't this exactly the question of the TES, that the derivative $partial_j a^i$ (which would appear in the coordinate representation of the connection) is not defined?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 13 '15 at 17:47
$begingroup$
I thought about this hint and don't understand it, actually. If you say that $nabla_{c'}X(t) := (X circ c)'(t)$ then the problem seems to be that the right-hand side is not defined on a general manifold, as we don't know how the time-derivative is defined on the manifold or am I missunderstand your notation?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 14 '15 at 16:17
$begingroup$
@RealAnalysis: You don't misunderstand the notation, but you need to think about the chain rule on a manifold.
$endgroup$
– Ted Shifrin
May 14 '15 at 16:43
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Actually a very easy but nice way to see this is to assume first that $c'$ is extended smoothly to a vector field $X$. Now like you already wrote locally $X = sum_i X^i partial_i$ and$$nabla_X X = sum_k (X(X^k) + sum_{i,j}X^{i}X^j Gamma^k_{ij}), partial_k$$
To get $nabla_{c'}c'$ we only need to evaluate $nabla_X X$ along $c$, which is straight forward except for $X(X^k)$. Therefore we calculate (using a chart $x = (x^1,dots,x^n))$: $$X_{c(t)}(X^k) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t}( X^k circ c)(tau) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} (X(x^k) circ c)(tau) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} X_{c(tau)}(x^k) \ = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} frac{d}{d s}bigg{rvert}_tau (x^k circ c)(s) = {(x^k circ c)}''(t)$$
Here I simply used that $X$ is tangent along $c$. Moreover this calculation shows that we only need to know $X$ along $c$, that is $c'$. Therefore $nabla_{c'} c' $ is well defined along $c$ and by the above formula (writing $c_j = x^j circ c$):
$$nabla_{c'} c' = sum_k (c_j'' + sum_{i,j}c_i'c_j' Gamma^k_{ij}), partial_k $$
$endgroup$
add a comment |
Your Answer
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
HINT: Write $c'(t) = sumlimits_i a^i(t)partial_ibig|_{c(t)}$. Then recall that for any vector field $X$ we can compute $nabla_{c'}X = dfrac D{dt}(Xcirc c)(t)$.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
but isn't this exactly the question of the TES, that the derivative $partial_j a^i$ (which would appear in the coordinate representation of the connection) is not defined?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 13 '15 at 17:47
$begingroup$
I thought about this hint and don't understand it, actually. If you say that $nabla_{c'}X(t) := (X circ c)'(t)$ then the problem seems to be that the right-hand side is not defined on a general manifold, as we don't know how the time-derivative is defined on the manifold or am I missunderstand your notation?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 14 '15 at 16:17
$begingroup$
@RealAnalysis: You don't misunderstand the notation, but you need to think about the chain rule on a manifold.
$endgroup$
– Ted Shifrin
May 14 '15 at 16:43
add a comment |
$begingroup$
HINT: Write $c'(t) = sumlimits_i a^i(t)partial_ibig|_{c(t)}$. Then recall that for any vector field $X$ we can compute $nabla_{c'}X = dfrac D{dt}(Xcirc c)(t)$.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
but isn't this exactly the question of the TES, that the derivative $partial_j a^i$ (which would appear in the coordinate representation of the connection) is not defined?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 13 '15 at 17:47
$begingroup$
I thought about this hint and don't understand it, actually. If you say that $nabla_{c'}X(t) := (X circ c)'(t)$ then the problem seems to be that the right-hand side is not defined on a general manifold, as we don't know how the time-derivative is defined on the manifold or am I missunderstand your notation?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 14 '15 at 16:17
$begingroup$
@RealAnalysis: You don't misunderstand the notation, but you need to think about the chain rule on a manifold.
$endgroup$
– Ted Shifrin
May 14 '15 at 16:43
add a comment |
$begingroup$
HINT: Write $c'(t) = sumlimits_i a^i(t)partial_ibig|_{c(t)}$. Then recall that for any vector field $X$ we can compute $nabla_{c'}X = dfrac D{dt}(Xcirc c)(t)$.
$endgroup$
HINT: Write $c'(t) = sumlimits_i a^i(t)partial_ibig|_{c(t)}$. Then recall that for any vector field $X$ we can compute $nabla_{c'}X = dfrac D{dt}(Xcirc c)(t)$.
edited May 13 '15 at 18:49
answered May 13 '15 at 14:38
Ted ShifrinTed Shifrin
64.9k44792
64.9k44792
$begingroup$
but isn't this exactly the question of the TES, that the derivative $partial_j a^i$ (which would appear in the coordinate representation of the connection) is not defined?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 13 '15 at 17:47
$begingroup$
I thought about this hint and don't understand it, actually. If you say that $nabla_{c'}X(t) := (X circ c)'(t)$ then the problem seems to be that the right-hand side is not defined on a general manifold, as we don't know how the time-derivative is defined on the manifold or am I missunderstand your notation?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 14 '15 at 16:17
$begingroup$
@RealAnalysis: You don't misunderstand the notation, but you need to think about the chain rule on a manifold.
$endgroup$
– Ted Shifrin
May 14 '15 at 16:43
add a comment |
$begingroup$
but isn't this exactly the question of the TES, that the derivative $partial_j a^i$ (which would appear in the coordinate representation of the connection) is not defined?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 13 '15 at 17:47
$begingroup$
I thought about this hint and don't understand it, actually. If you say that $nabla_{c'}X(t) := (X circ c)'(t)$ then the problem seems to be that the right-hand side is not defined on a general manifold, as we don't know how the time-derivative is defined on the manifold or am I missunderstand your notation?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 14 '15 at 16:17
$begingroup$
@RealAnalysis: You don't misunderstand the notation, but you need to think about the chain rule on a manifold.
$endgroup$
– Ted Shifrin
May 14 '15 at 16:43
$begingroup$
but isn't this exactly the question of the TES, that the derivative $partial_j a^i$ (which would appear in the coordinate representation of the connection) is not defined?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 13 '15 at 17:47
$begingroup$
but isn't this exactly the question of the TES, that the derivative $partial_j a^i$ (which would appear in the coordinate representation of the connection) is not defined?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 13 '15 at 17:47
$begingroup$
I thought about this hint and don't understand it, actually. If you say that $nabla_{c'}X(t) := (X circ c)'(t)$ then the problem seems to be that the right-hand side is not defined on a general manifold, as we don't know how the time-derivative is defined on the manifold or am I missunderstand your notation?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 14 '15 at 16:17
$begingroup$
I thought about this hint and don't understand it, actually. If you say that $nabla_{c'}X(t) := (X circ c)'(t)$ then the problem seems to be that the right-hand side is not defined on a general manifold, as we don't know how the time-derivative is defined on the manifold or am I missunderstand your notation?
$endgroup$
– RealAnalysis
May 14 '15 at 16:17
$begingroup$
@RealAnalysis: You don't misunderstand the notation, but you need to think about the chain rule on a manifold.
$endgroup$
– Ted Shifrin
May 14 '15 at 16:43
$begingroup$
@RealAnalysis: You don't misunderstand the notation, but you need to think about the chain rule on a manifold.
$endgroup$
– Ted Shifrin
May 14 '15 at 16:43
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Actually a very easy but nice way to see this is to assume first that $c'$ is extended smoothly to a vector field $X$. Now like you already wrote locally $X = sum_i X^i partial_i$ and$$nabla_X X = sum_k (X(X^k) + sum_{i,j}X^{i}X^j Gamma^k_{ij}), partial_k$$
To get $nabla_{c'}c'$ we only need to evaluate $nabla_X X$ along $c$, which is straight forward except for $X(X^k)$. Therefore we calculate (using a chart $x = (x^1,dots,x^n))$: $$X_{c(t)}(X^k) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t}( X^k circ c)(tau) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} (X(x^k) circ c)(tau) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} X_{c(tau)}(x^k) \ = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} frac{d}{d s}bigg{rvert}_tau (x^k circ c)(s) = {(x^k circ c)}''(t)$$
Here I simply used that $X$ is tangent along $c$. Moreover this calculation shows that we only need to know $X$ along $c$, that is $c'$. Therefore $nabla_{c'} c' $ is well defined along $c$ and by the above formula (writing $c_j = x^j circ c$):
$$nabla_{c'} c' = sum_k (c_j'' + sum_{i,j}c_i'c_j' Gamma^k_{ij}), partial_k $$
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Actually a very easy but nice way to see this is to assume first that $c'$ is extended smoothly to a vector field $X$. Now like you already wrote locally $X = sum_i X^i partial_i$ and$$nabla_X X = sum_k (X(X^k) + sum_{i,j}X^{i}X^j Gamma^k_{ij}), partial_k$$
To get $nabla_{c'}c'$ we only need to evaluate $nabla_X X$ along $c$, which is straight forward except for $X(X^k)$. Therefore we calculate (using a chart $x = (x^1,dots,x^n))$: $$X_{c(t)}(X^k) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t}( X^k circ c)(tau) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} (X(x^k) circ c)(tau) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} X_{c(tau)}(x^k) \ = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} frac{d}{d s}bigg{rvert}_tau (x^k circ c)(s) = {(x^k circ c)}''(t)$$
Here I simply used that $X$ is tangent along $c$. Moreover this calculation shows that we only need to know $X$ along $c$, that is $c'$. Therefore $nabla_{c'} c' $ is well defined along $c$ and by the above formula (writing $c_j = x^j circ c$):
$$nabla_{c'} c' = sum_k (c_j'' + sum_{i,j}c_i'c_j' Gamma^k_{ij}), partial_k $$
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Actually a very easy but nice way to see this is to assume first that $c'$ is extended smoothly to a vector field $X$. Now like you already wrote locally $X = sum_i X^i partial_i$ and$$nabla_X X = sum_k (X(X^k) + sum_{i,j}X^{i}X^j Gamma^k_{ij}), partial_k$$
To get $nabla_{c'}c'$ we only need to evaluate $nabla_X X$ along $c$, which is straight forward except for $X(X^k)$. Therefore we calculate (using a chart $x = (x^1,dots,x^n))$: $$X_{c(t)}(X^k) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t}( X^k circ c)(tau) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} (X(x^k) circ c)(tau) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} X_{c(tau)}(x^k) \ = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} frac{d}{d s}bigg{rvert}_tau (x^k circ c)(s) = {(x^k circ c)}''(t)$$
Here I simply used that $X$ is tangent along $c$. Moreover this calculation shows that we only need to know $X$ along $c$, that is $c'$. Therefore $nabla_{c'} c' $ is well defined along $c$ and by the above formula (writing $c_j = x^j circ c$):
$$nabla_{c'} c' = sum_k (c_j'' + sum_{i,j}c_i'c_j' Gamma^k_{ij}), partial_k $$
$endgroup$
Actually a very easy but nice way to see this is to assume first that $c'$ is extended smoothly to a vector field $X$. Now like you already wrote locally $X = sum_i X^i partial_i$ and$$nabla_X X = sum_k (X(X^k) + sum_{i,j}X^{i}X^j Gamma^k_{ij}), partial_k$$
To get $nabla_{c'}c'$ we only need to evaluate $nabla_X X$ along $c$, which is straight forward except for $X(X^k)$. Therefore we calculate (using a chart $x = (x^1,dots,x^n))$: $$X_{c(t)}(X^k) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t}( X^k circ c)(tau) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} (X(x^k) circ c)(tau) = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} X_{c(tau)}(x^k) \ = frac{d}{d tau}bigg{rvert}_{t} frac{d}{d s}bigg{rvert}_tau (x^k circ c)(s) = {(x^k circ c)}''(t)$$
Here I simply used that $X$ is tangent along $c$. Moreover this calculation shows that we only need to know $X$ along $c$, that is $c'$. Therefore $nabla_{c'} c' $ is well defined along $c$ and by the above formula (writing $c_j = x^j circ c$):
$$nabla_{c'} c' = sum_k (c_j'' + sum_{i,j}c_i'c_j' Gamma^k_{ij}), partial_k $$
answered Dec 14 '18 at 18:55
T'xT'x
373212
373212
add a comment |
add a comment |
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$begingroup$
Here is one way: think of $c'$ as a section of the pull-back bundle $c^*TM$ over $[a,b]$. Then $nabla_c' c'$ can be thought of as the derivative of $c'$ in the time direction: $(c^*nabla)_{d/dt} c'$.
$endgroup$
– Braindead
May 13 '15 at 14:05
$begingroup$
You can also extend the vector field "trivially" within a coordinate patch.
$endgroup$
– Braindead
May 13 '15 at 14:08