Path-lifting properties of the exponential map with applications to geodesics (Q6044147)

Let \((M^m, \nabla )\) be a smooth \(m\)-dimensional manifold endowed with an affine connection. The authors deal with the geodesic connectedness problem: if \(M\) is connected is it possible that any two points are connected through a geodesic segment? An important setting where this problem is very interesting is that of semi-Riemannian geometry with the corresponding Levi-Civita connection. The present approach is partially inspired by the work of \textit{J. K. Beem} and \textit{P. E. Parker} [Ann. Mat. Pura Appl. (4) 155, 137--142 (1989; Zbl 0695.53022)], that gives conditions for the geodesic completeness in terms of \textit{disprisonment} and \textit{pseudoconvexity} of families of geodesics. The authors express these features in terms of the properness of the exponential map. Thus they are able to prove both an affine generalization and a Lorentzian version of the well-known Cartan-Hadamard theorem.