Sur la géométrie différentielle du fibre tangent d'ordre 2. (On the differential geometry of the tangent bundle of order 2) (Q1821361)

Three different constructions of tangent bundles of order r (r\(\geq 1)\) over a manifold M \((n=\dim M)\) are known in the literature: (1): \(T^ m=\{r\)-jets of curves \(\sigma\) : \(R\to M\}\); (2): \(T_ rM=\{r\)-th order tangent vectors on \(M\}\), and (3): \(\tilde T^ rM=the\) iterated tangent bundle. For \(r=1\), all coincide with the usual tangent bundle. The paper under review concerns \(T_ 2M\). In sections 2 and 3, the author introduces vertical and complete lifts of tensor fields and complete lifts of connections from M to \(T_ 2M\). The third section is devoted to define vertical and complete lifts of derivations. Finally, in section 4, a canonical tensor field J of type (1,1) on \(T_ 2M\), with \(J^ 2=0\) and rank J\(=n\), is defined. Reviewer's remark: The author's assertion of that J defines an almost tangent structure on \(T_ 2M\) is not accurate, because almost tangent structures (in the usual sense) are defined over even dimensional manifolds and dim \(T_ 2M=2n+(1/2)(n(n+1))\). Polynomial structures like this defined by J on \(T_ 2M\) have been studied by \textit{C. S. Houh} [Can. Math. Bull. 16, 447-449 (1973; Zbl 0274.53030)].