Some Berwald spaces of non-positive flag curvature (Q1029486)

A Randers metric on a smooth manifold \(M\) [see \textit{G. Randers}, Phys. Rev., II. Ser. 59, 195--199 (1941; Zbl 0027.18101)] is a Finsler metric of the form \(F_{g,X}(x,y)=\sqrt{g(y,y)}+g(x)\left(X(x),y\right)\), \(x\in M, y\in T(M)\), where \(g\) is a Riemannian metric and \(X\) a nowhere vanishing vector field on \(M\) of norm \(<1\). The Finsler functional \(F_{g,X}\) is called of Berwald type if \(X\) is parallel with respect to the Levi-Civita connection of \(g\). It's flag curvature is defined by \[ K(P,Y)=\frac{g_Y\left(R(U,Y)Y,U\right)}{ g_Y\left(Y,Y\right)\,g_Y\left(U,U\right)-g_Y\left(U,Y\right)}, \] \[ \text{ where }g_Y\left(U,V\right)=\frac{1}{2}\frac{\partial^2}{\partial s\,\partial t} F\left(Y+s\,U+t\,V\right)\big|_{s=t=0}, \] where \(U,Y\) are vector fields, \(P=\text{span}\{U,Y\}\), and \(R\) is the curvature tensor of the Chern connection of \(F\). This notion generalizes that of sectional curvature of Riemannian geometry. In order to present examples of complete Berwald spaces with non-positive flag curvature the author considers \(F_{g,X}\) in the situation of left invariant metrics and vector fields on a Lie group. In this case, the flag curvature can be expressed in terms of structural data of the Lie algebra of G. This enables the author to exhibit explicit examples of 3-dimensional homogeneous Berwald spaces with flag curvature \(\leq0\).