Natural connections on the bundle of Riemannian metrics (Q956668)

Denote by \(FM\) the linear frame bundle of \(M\), by \(\mathcal M_M\) the bundle of Riemannian metrics and by \(q_1^*FM=J^1\mathcal M_M\times_MFM\) the pull-back of \(FM\) to \(J^1\mathcal M_M\) with respect to \(q_1:J^1\mathcal M_M\to M\). It is proved that \(q_1^*FM\) is endowed with a unique \(\text{Diff}M\)-invariant connection form \(\omega\), called the universal Levi-Civita connection, which is Riemannian with respect to the universal metric on \(J^1\mathcal M_M\times_MTM\). Furthermore, some interesting applications to the construction of universal Pontryagin and Euler forms are given.