The conformal connection of Élie Cartan (Q2702175)

The author provides a modern formulation of the theory of conformal connection of Élie Cartan. First, conformal structures on a linear space are discussed: a spherical completion of a linear conformal space, conformal frames, conformal linear group. After recalling the notion of conformal manifold, a spherical tangent bundle is introduced and a principal bundle associated to it is described. The conformal connection of Élie Cartan is viewed as a connection in a special principal bundle of conformal frames. The parallel transport is treated and a condition of normalization which assures the uniqueness of the conformal connection of Élie Cartan is analyzed. Along the paper some comparisons with the tensorial treatements of the conformal connection of Élie Cartan are provided.NEWLINENEWLINEFor the entire collection see [Zbl 0952.00066].