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2020/96/1-2 (16) — DOI: 10.5486/PMD.2020.8652 — pp. 207-230

Radius and concurrent vector fields in spray and Finsler geometry

Authors: Mike Crampin

Abstract:

I recall the definitions of a concurrent vector field and (from Whitehead [11]) a radius vector field, and extend them so as to apply in spray and Finsler geometry. I discuss the role of radius vector fields in the theory of projective connections. I show that a concurrent vector field on a Finsler space is necessarily a radius vector field, and that if a connected manifold equipped with a spray supports a complete radius vector field which has a zero, then the manifold is diffeomorphic to $\mathbb{R}^n$ with the standard flat spray.

Keywords: projective connection, Finsler spaces and generalizations, geodesics

Mathematics Subject Classification: 53B10, 53B40, 53C22, 53C60