Pseudo-Riemannian geodesic foliations by circles (Q1955726): Difference between revisions

An important theorem of global Riemannian geometry, due to \textit{A. W. Wadsley} [J. Differ. Geom. 10, 541--549 (1975; Zbl 0336.57019)], states that a foliation by circles is a foliation by closed geodesics if and only if the circles have locally bounded length. The authors of the paper under review prove that the theorem is also true for (indefinite) pseudo-Riemannian manifolds, when the foliation does not contain light-like leaves. A counterexample is also provided, showing that the theorem does not work without the respective additional assumption. As applications, it follows that: 1) every Lorentzian surface contains nonclosed geodesics; 2) up to a finite cover, any Lorentzian surface all of whose light-like geodesics are closed is conformally equivalent to the 2-dimensional Einstein universe.