Lecture series

• D. Saunders: Homogeneous variational principles and Riemann-Finsler geometry
  
  In this introductory series of lectures we use the problem of finding the shortest path between two points in a Riemannian manifold to motivate the use of the calculus of variations to construct the associated path space. Here, a path need not have any particular parametrization, although in the case of Finsler geometry it might have a specific orientation. We see how the paths can be specified by families of sprays (certain types of homogeneous vector fields on a tangent manifold) or of linear connections (covariant derivatives on vector bundles) and where parametrization at unit speed can select a particular spray or linear connection.
  
  More generally, we see how a certain type of path space (which might not arise from a variational problem, and so might not have a measure of speed) determines a single spray or linear connection on a manifold with one extra dimension. We also see that this is related to Cartan’s method of constructing paths by attaching a projective space at a point and then rolling it around the manifold.
  
  Finally, we extend the motivating problem to higher dimensions, including for example the problem of finding surfaces of least area. We see that the homogeneity of the variational problem, corresponding to invariance under reparametrization, means that the underlying geometrical structure can be either a velocity manifold (generalising a tangent manifold) or its quotient, a Grassmannian manifold (generalising a projective tangent manifold). We also construct the corresponding differential forms by using particular types of vector valued forms.

  1. Variations and Riemann geometry
  2. Finsler geometry
  3. Cartan geometry
  4. Generalisations in higher dimensions
     
     
     
• D. Krupka: Finsler geometry: Second-order generalizations
  
  

Lectures on classical and modern research problems, workshop