Integrable optical geometry (Q1069138)

Let M be a four-dimensional smooth and paracompact manifold with metric g of Lorentz signature. If \(G_ 0\) is the optical group of linear automorphisms of \(R^ 4\) an optical geometry on M is defined as a \(G_ 0\)-structure. An optical geometry is said to be integrable if it is integrable as a \(G_ 0\)-structure. In this paper the authors prove that the following properties of an optical geometry on M are equivalent to one another. (i) the optical geometry is integrable; (ii) M admits a symmetric linear connection compatible with its optical geometry; (iii) the optical geometry on M is that of optical geodesics without shear and twist. The authors note at the end that among the metrics corresponding to the integrable optical geometry there are many nontrivial solutions of Einstein's field equations.