The cornerstone role of the torsion in Finslerian physical worlds (Q1897610)

The authors show that, annulling certain components of the torsion of metric compatible connections in Finsler spaces, the known metric \(\partial^2 F/ \partial (dx^\mu) \partial (dx^\nu)\) is uniquely determined, under the usual regularity condition. The same metric is shown to impose compatibility conditions on the torsion on its invariantly-determined compatible connections. Using the Cartan connection, the authors discuss the genuinely Finslerian feature that the Bianchi identities (in their role as integrability conditions for the connection) impose conditions on the torsion. It is proven that the torsion of properly Finslerian connections is always properly Finslerian; the implications of the results for a detached view of general relativity are also discussed.