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2024/105/3-4 (6) — DOI: 10.5486/PMD.2024.9768 — pp. 379-402

On a class of generalized Berwald manifolds

Authors: Akbar Tayebi Orcid.org link for Akbar Tayebi and Faezeh Eslami Orcid.org link for Faezeh Eslami

Abstract:

Let $F=\alpha\phi(s)$, $s:=\beta/\alpha$, be a generalized Berwald $(\alpha, \beta)$-metric on a two-dimensional manifold. Suppose that $F$ has vanishing $S$-curvature and $\phi'(0)\neq 0$. We show that if $F$ is regular, then it is a locally Minkowskian metric. If $F$ is an almost regular and non-locally Minkowskian metric, then we explicitly determine the function $\phi$ which results in generalized Berwald metrics not belonging to the classes of Berwald, Landsberg or Douglas metrics. Furthermore, we prove that a left-invariant Finsler metric on a two-dimensional Lie group has vanishing $S$-curvature if and only if it is a Riemannian metric of constant Gaussian curvature. Finally, we construct a family of Randers type generalized Berwald metrics on an arbitrary odd-dimensional manifold.

Keywords: generalized Berwald metric, Berwald metric, $(\alpha, \beta)$-metric, $S$-curvature

Mathematics Subject Classification: 53C60, 53C25