Differential equations and conformal structures

DOI10.1016/J.GEOMPHYS.2004.11.006MaRDI QIDQ2567069zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Pawel Nurowski

Publication date 29 September 2005

Published in Journal of Geometry and Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0406400

zbMATH Keywords

Cartan connectionconformal geometrydifferential geometry on ODEs

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Geometric methods in ordinary differential equations (34A26) Other connections (53B15) Local differential geometry of Lorentz metrics, indefinite metrics (53B30) Applications of local differential geometry to the sciences (53B50) Exterior differential systems (Cartan theory) (58A15)

Abstract: We provide five examples of conformal geometries which are naturally associated with ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The first example describes a one-to-one correspondence between the Wuenschmann class of 3rd order ODEs considered modulo contact transformations of variables and (local) 3-dimensional conformal Lorentzian geometries. The second example shows that every point equivalent class of 3rd order ODEs satisfying the Wuenschmann and the Cartan conditions define a 3-dimensional Lorentzian Einstein-Weyl geometry. The third example associates to each point equivalence class of 3rd order ODEs a 6-dimensional conformal geometry of neutral signature. The fourth example exhibits the one-to-one correspondence between point equivalent classes of 2nd order ODEs and 4-dimensional conformal Fefferman-like metrics of neutral signature. The fifth example shows the correspondence between undetermined ODEs of the Monge type and conformal geometries of signature $(3,2)$. The Cartan normal conformal connection for these geometries is reducible to the Cartan connection with values in the Lie algebra of the noncompact form of the exceptional group $G_2$. All the examples are deeply rooted in Elie Cartan's works on exterior differential systems.

Review text

This highly interesting work explores the deep geometrical relations between differential equations and conformal geometry. The first example of this fact was obtained by a student of Engel, K. Wünschmann, who defined conformal Lorentzian metrics on the solution space of a certain class of third order differential equations. This classical result was later reinterpreted in terms of Lie algebra valued connections. This article presents various interesting examples pointing out the common aspects of differential equations and conformal structures. First, an alternative derivation of Wünschmann's result is given, analyzing the properties for a third order equation to satisfy the so called Wünschmann condition. The conformal invariants of the corresponding Lorentzian metrics are computed. Further, new examples motivated by Cartan's approach to the problem are given. More specifically, the author recovers Cartan's observation that an additional condition on the Wünschmann class defines a 3-dimensional Lorentzian Weyl geometry satisfying the Einstein-Weyl equations. Two interesting examples on this fact are exhibited. The most relevant part of the paper is devoted to the study of geometries related to underdetermined ordinary differential equations of Monge type and conformal geometries of signature \((+++--)\). Using the \(NG_{2}\)-valued Cartan connection, where \(NG_{2}\) is the noncompact real form of the exceptional rank two Lie algebra \(G_{2}\), the Cartan normal conformal connection for the geometry appearing in this type of equations is reduced. Another quite interesting point is the fact that the square of the Weyl tensor for the type of metrics analyzed can be interpreted by a classical invariant, which presents some affinities with polynomials used in the NP-formalism.

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• Ants and bracket generating distributions in dimensions 5 and 6
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• New relations between \(\mathrm G_2\) geometries in dimensions 5 and 7
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• DUALITY OF (2, 3, 5)-DISTRIBUTIONS AND LAGRANGIAN CONE STRUCTURES
• GL(2)-geometry and complex structures
• A Monge normal form for the rolling distribution
• Chaos in Cartan foliations
• The geometry of almost Einstein \((2,3,5)\) distributions
• Projective geometry of Sasaki-Einstein structures and their compactification
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• Equivalence of variational problems of higher order
• The twistor spinors of generic 2- and 3-distributions
• Differential equations and Cartan connections
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• Homogeneous CR and Para-CR structures in dimensions 5 and 3
• Revisiting Kepler: new symmetries of an old problem
• Variations on the Tait-Kneser theorem
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• Cartan's incomplete classification and an explicit ambient metric of holonomy \(\mathrm G_2^\ast\)
• Regularized determinants of the Rumin complex in irreducible unitary representations of the (2, 3, 5) nilpotent Lie group
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