On the existence of \({\mathcal C}\)-conformal changes of Riemann-Finsler metrics (Q5939535)

The notion of a \(C\)-conformal transformation is defined in the last section of \textit{M. Hashiguchi}'s paper [J. Math. Kyoto Univ. 16, 25-50 (1976; Zbl 0328.53014)]. A conformal transformation \(\alpha:L(x,y) \to\overline L(x,y)= e^\alpha L(x,y)\), \(\alpha= \alpha(x)\), of a Finsler metric \(L(x,y)\) is called \(C\)-conformal if \(C_{jk}= C^i_{jk}(\partial \alpha/ \partial x^i) =0\) holds for the \(C\)-tensor \(C^i_{jk} (x,y)\). Hashiguchi's Theorem 5.1 says that if each of the following Finsler spaces admits a \(C\)-conformal transformation, then the space is Riemannian: (1) two-dimensional spaces, (2) three-dimensional spaces satisfying the conditions of Brickell's theorem, (3) spaces with the vanishing \(T\)-tensor, (4) \(C\)-reducible spaces, (5) spaces with \((\alpha, \beta)\)-metric. The main result of the present paper is to show that the existence of a \(C\)-conformal change of a Finsler manifold implies that the manifold is Riemannian (at least locally).