A Gauss-Bonnet formula for metrics with varying signature (Q2494611): Difference between revisions

The Gauss-Bonnet formula for 2-manifold holds for Riemannian metrics (classical) and for Lorentzian metrics (proved by Avez and by Chern in the 60's). If the signature of the metric is allowed to vary throughout the manifold then a Gauss-Bonnet formula was given by \textit{F. Pelletier} [North-Holland Math. Stud. 103, 219--238 (1985; Zbl 0565.53026)]. However, his assumption on the metric was quite restrictive because the singular locus of the metric was assumed to consist of smooth (pseudo-)geodesics only. In the present paper a more general Gauss-Bonnet formula is obtained for a generic metric of varying signature. Here, generic means that the singular locus consists of smooth (pseudo-)geodesic curves which can intersect pairwise and transversally. However, some assumption on the singular locus must be made in any case, as is shown by a counterexample at the end of the paper where the integral of the Gaussian curvature is infinite