The induced and intrinsic Finsler connections of a hypersurface and Finslerian projective geometry (Q1059871)

The literature on the theory of subspaces of a Finsler space is widely scattered and somewhat incoherent. This is due to the fact that different generalizations of some basic concepts of classical differential geometry, such as normal vectors, normal curvature, etc. had been introduced by different authors, all of which is exacerbated by the fact that there is no uniform notation. The objective of the paper under review would appear to be the presentation of a systematic account of the theory of hypersurfaces of a Finsler space \(F^ n\) from a rather general point of view that encompasses many known theorems in terms of comprehensive new results. This objective has been achieved admirably. The paper begins with a discussion of the metric and connection on a hypersurface \(F^{n-1}\) that are induced by the metric and connection on \(F^ n\); this culminates in the derivation of generalized Gauss-Codazzi equations. This is followed by a detailed discussion of the induced connections that result from the differential connections on \(F^ n\) that had been proposed by E. Cartan, L. Berwald, and the reviewer. Three distinct definitions of the notion of a hyperplane are presented, each of which is characterized analytically. For instance, in the case of a hyperplane \(F^{n-1}\) of the first kind each path of \(F^{n-1}\) is a path of \(F^ n\), and it is shown that such hyperplanes can exist at each hypersurface element of \(F^ n\) if and only if \(F^ n\) is projectively flat. Examples of special metrics (C-reducible \(F^ n\), Randers space) are discussed. Some inconsistencies in the earlier literature are revealed, which enhances the value of this important paper.