Metric nonlinear connections (Q2641707)

Let \(M\) be a real \(n\)-dimensional \(C^\infty\) manifold, \((TM,\pi,M)\) its tangent bundle, \((U,\Phi)=(U;x^i)\) a local chart at \(p\in M\), and \(\pi^{-1}(U),\widetilde \Phi)=(\pi^{-1}(U);x^i,y^k)\) the induced local chart at \(U\in p^{-1}(p)\subset TM\). Metric structures, metric nonlinear connections, Lagrange space, semisprays, and the dynamical derivative are important for this work. Let \(S\) be a system of second-order differential equations, and \(g\) a generalized Lagrange metric. The author determines a metric nonlinear connection that corresponds to the pair \((S,g)\), and gives the whole family of metric nonlinear connections that correspond to the pair \((S,g)\). Consider a semispray \(S=y^i\frac{\partial}{\partial x^i}-2G^i(x,y)\frac{\partial}{\partial y^i}\), and Obata operators \(O^{ij}_{kl}= \frac 12(\delta^i_k\delta^i_l-g^{ij} g_{kl})\). The author gives the following Theorem 1: Let \(S\) be a semispray with local coefficients \(G^i\). There is a metric nonlinear connection \(N^c\), whose coefficients \(N_j^{c_i}\) are given by \(N^{ci}_j=\frac 12 g^{ik} S(g_{kj})+ O^{ik}_{sj}\frac{\partial G^s}{\partial y^k}\). This nonlinear connection \(N^c\) is not unique \((N^c\) depends on \(S\) and the generalized Lagrange metric). Consider a Lagrange space \(L^n=(M,L)\), where \(L\) is the fundamental function of \(L^n\). The semispray \(S\) determines a canonical nonlinear connection \(N(M^i_j=\frac {\partial G^i}{\partial y^j})\) [\textit{J. Grifone}, Ann. Inst. Fourier 22, No. 1, 287--334 (1972; Zbl 0219.53032), No. 3, 323--332 (1972; Zbl 0301.53020)]. Theorem 2: For a Lagrange space \(L^n\), the canonical nonlinear connection \(N\) is the unique nonlinear connection \(N\) that satisfies: (1) The horizontal subbundle \(NTM\) is a Lagrangean subbundle of \(TTM\), which means that \(\omega(hX,hY)=0\) \(\forall X,Y\in\chi(TM)\). (2) The metric tensor \(g_{ij}\) of the Lagrange space is covariant constant with respect to the dynamical derivative induced by \((S,N)\), which is equivariant to \(\nabla g=0\).