Rigidity of Busemann convex Finsler metrics

DOI10.4171/CMH/476MaRDI QIDQ2301922zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Alexander Lytchak, Sergei Ivanov

Publication date 25 February 2020

Published in Commentarii Mathematici Helvetici (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1711.02951

Berwald metric, affinely equivalent Finsler metrics Busemann convex space non-positive curvature

Local differential geometry of Finsler spaces and generalizations (areal metrics) (53B40) Global geometric and topological methods (à la Gromov); differential geometric analysis on metric spaces (53C23) Global differential geometry of Finsler spaces and generalizations (areal metrics) (53C60)

Abstract: We prove that a Finsler metric is nonpositively curved in the sense of Busemann if and only if it is affinely equivalent to a Riemannian metric of nonpositive sectional curvature. In other terms, such Finsler metrics are precisely Berwald metrics of nonpositive flag curvature. In particular in dimension 2 every such metric is Riemannian or locally isometric to that of a normed plane. In the course of the proof we obtain new characterizations of Berwald metrics in terms of the so-called linear parallel transport.

Review text

A Busemann non-positively curved spaces, also known as locally convex spaces, are a larger class of metric spaces defined by \textit{A. Papadopoulos} [Metric spaces, convexity and nonpositive curvature. Zürich: European Mathematical Society (EMS) (2014; Zbl 1296.53007)], as follows. A geodesic metric space \((X, d )\) is \emph{Busemann convex} if for every pair of constant-speed geodesics \(\gamma_{1,2}:[a,b] \rightarrow X \) the function \(t\rightarrow d(\gamma_{1}(t), \gamma_{2}(t))\) is convex on \([a,b]\). A metric space \((X, d )\) is \emph{non-positively curved} in the sense of Busemann if every point in \(X\) has a Busemann convex neighborhood. In the article under review, the authors examine question number 35 posed by \textit{Z. Shen} [``Some open problems in Finsler geometry, Preprint]. The main results are outlined as follows; \textbf{Theorem 1}. A Finsler manifold \((M,F)\) is non-positively curved in the sense of Busemann, if and only if there exists a non-positively curved Riemannian metric on \(M\) whose Levi-Civita connection preserves the Finsler norm \(F\). \textbf{Theorem 2.} A Finsler manifold \((M,F)\) is non-positively curved in the sense of Busemann, if and only if it is a Berwald manifold of non-positive flag curvature. There are other results as well. \textbf{Corollary 1.2.} If a 2-dimensional connected Finsler manifold is non-positively curved in the sense of Busemann, then it is Riemannian or locally isometric to a normed plane. \textbf{Corollary 1.3.} A Finsler metric is non-positively curved in the sense of Busemann, if and only if it is affinely equivalent to a non-positively curved Riemannian metric. \textbf{Lemma 2.4.} Let \(F_1\) and \(F_2\) be affinely equivalent Finsler metrics and the flag curvature of \(F_1\) is non-positive. Then the flag curvature of \(F_2\) is non-positive as well.

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