The dynamics of parallel transport (Q2746571)

Here the Lagrangian is derived for the motion of small filaments and spheres moving within a Riemannian manifold. The motion of a small sphere generates parallel translation along the curve traced by its center.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe main result is the following: Let \(H_w= \{v^a: T_{\pi_a} v^a\) is horizontal\(\}\subseteq TQ_n\) be the horizontal distribution of the Levi-Civita connection on the bundle of orthonormal frames. Then \(H_n\) is invariant under the flow of the Lagrangian \(L_{\varepsilon,n}\), and the flow on \(H_n\) is given by parallel translation along the geodesics of the metric \(g+({\varepsilon^2\over n})R\) where \(R\) is the Ricci tensor and NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\begin{aligned} L_{\varepsilon, n} &= {1\over 2} \Biggl(g_{ij}+ {\varepsilon^2\over n} R_{ij}\Biggr)\dot q^i\dot q^j+ {\varepsilon^2\over 2n} \delta^{\alpha\beta} g_{ij} V^i_\alpha V^j_\beta,\\ V^i_\alpha &= \dot v^i_\alpha+ \Gamma^i_{kr}\dot q^k v^r_\alpha.\end{aligned}NEWLINE\]NEWLINE{}.