Finsler metrics on the disk determined by a distance function between boundary points (Q1343873): Difference between revisions

[An abridged version appeared in Sémin. Théor. Spectrale Géom., Chambéry-Grenoble, Année 1991-1992, 25-33 (1992; Zbl 0779.53046)]. Let \(M\) be a compact manifold with boundary \(\partial M\). To each Riemannian metric \(g\) on \(M\) there is associated a distance on \(M\) whose restriction on \(\partial M\) is denoted by \(d_g\). The distance \(d_g (x,y)\) between two points \(x\) and \(y\) of \(\partial M\) is equal to the infimum of lengths of the paths joining \(x\) and \(y\). Let \({\mathfrak R} (M)\) denote the set of Riemannian metrics on \(M\), \({\mathfrak D} (\partial M)\) the set of distances on \(\partial M\), \({\mathfrak B}: {\mathfrak R} (M)\to {\mathfrak D} (\partial M)\) be the map \(g \mapsto d_g \), \({\mathfrak D} iff(M, \partial M)\) the set of diffeomorphisms of \(M\) whose restriction on \(\partial M\) is the identity map, and let \(D\) denote the closed unit disk of \(\mathbb{R}^2\). The author treats the following two questions: (1) (Uniqueness or injectivity of \({\mathfrak B})\): Given \(g_0, g_1\in {\mathfrak R} (M)\) such that \(d_{g_0} =d_{g_1}\), can one find \(\Phi \in {\mathfrak D}iff (M, \partial M)\) such that \(\Phi_* g_0= g_1\)? (If the answer to this question is affirmative, \((M, g_0) \) is said to be rigid.) (2) (Existence): Given \(d\in {\mathfrak D} (\partial D)\), does there exist \(g \in {\mathfrak R} (D)\) which makes \(D\) strictly geodesically convex and for which \(d=d_g\)? The structure of the paper is as follows: \S I. Examples of rigid and non-rigid Riemannian manifolds are given. \S II. Starting from \(d\in {\mathfrak D} (\partial D)\), where \(D\) is equipped with a Finslerian metric, the author constructs the length spaces \((D,\theta)\) verifying \({\mathfrak B} (\delta) =d\) and for which \(D\) is strictly geodesically convex (Theorem 1). For this, he shows that given a convenient system of curves \(\Gamma\) on \(D\), there exists a unique length space \((D, \delta)\) satisfying \({\mathfrak B} (\delta) =d\) and for which the system of geodesics coincides with \(\Gamma\). \S III. The proof of Theorem 1 is established. \S IV. Given a regular distance on \(\partial D\) and a regular system of geodesics, the author shows that the obtained length space arises from a (continuous) Finslerian metric on \(D\) for which he gives an explicit expression (Theorem 2). \S V. The author gives a criterion to determine in which case one has to deal with a Riemannian metric. \S VI. He treats the problem of isometries. He shows that convenient choices of the systems of geodesics enable one to construct non-isometric Finslerian metrics having the same distance on the boundary (Theorem 3). This affirms the non-injectivity of the map \({\mathfrak B}\) extended to Finsler metrics. The paper represents a valuable contribution to the subject.