Classifying Spinor Structures
From MaRDI portal
Abstract: I begin by explaining how Riemannian geometry can be understood in terms of principal fibre bundles and connections thereon. I then introduce and motivate the definition of a spinor structure in terms of familiar geometrical ideas. The central result of this thesis is a complete and constructive classification of spinor structures, generalising some earlier results. I will explain how principal fibre bundles and covering spaces provide the key ingredients to the proof. A different type of classification can also be attempted, in terms of the underlying principal fibre bundle, and this allows us to compare `spinor connections'. The final part indicates how spinor structures for Lorentzian manifolds provide the natural setting for the `spinor calculus', and so for the Dirac equation for the electron. The effect of the choice of spinor structure on the Dirac equation is investigated.
This page was built for publication: Classifying Spinor Structures
Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q6468573)
