Orbifolds from a metric viewpoint (Q2205662)

Orbifolds are generalisations of manifolds which arise by patching together the quotients of subsets of euclidean space modulo finite group actions. Adding Riemannian metrics compatible with the group actions into the mix, one arrives at the notion of a Riemannian orbifold. The present article discusses Riemannian orbifolds from the metric viewpoint. As a starting point, the author follows an idea by Lytchak and defines a Riemannian orbifold as follows: \textbf{Definition:} A Riemannian orbifold of dimension \(n\) is a length space \(O\) such that for each \(x \in O\) there exist an open \(x\)-neighborhood \(U\) and a connected Riemannian manifold \(M\) of dimension \(n\) together with a finite group \(G\) of isometries of \(M\) such that \(U \cong M / G\) are isometrically isomorphic with respect to the induced length metrics. In Section 2 of the paper it is then proved that this notion of Riemannian orbifold is equivalent to the classical notion of a Riemannian orbifold. The author then gives a metric characterisation of coverings of orbifolds. Moreover, the metric double of an orbifold is described and it turns out that this is again a Riemannian orbifold.