In mathematics, particularly differential geometry, a Finsler manifold is a differentiable manifold M where a (possibly asymmetric) Minkowski norm F(x, −) is provided on each tangent space TxM , that enables one to define the length of any smooth curve γ : [a, b] → M as Finsler manifolds are more general than Riemannian manifolds since the tangent norms need not be induced by inner products. Every Finsler manifold becomes an intrinsic quasimetric space when the distance between two points is defined as the infimum length of the curves that join them. named Finsler manifolds after Paul Finsler, who studied this geometry in his dissertation.

Definition

A Finsler manifold is a differentiable manifold M together with a Finsler metric, which is a continuous nonnegative function F: TM → [0, +∞) defined on the tangent bundle so that for each point x of M , F(v + w) ≤ F(v) + F(w) for every two vectors v,w tangent to M at x (subadditivity). for all λ ≥ 0 (but not necessarily for λ < 0) (positive homogeneity). F(v) > 0 unless (positive definiteness). In other words, F(x, −) is an asymmetric norm on each tangent space TxM . The Finsler metric F is also required to be smooth, more precisely: F is smooth on the complement of the zero section of TM . The subadditivity axiom may then be replaced by the following strong convexity condition: v ≠ 0 , the Hessian matrix of F2 at v is positive definite. Here the Hessian of F2 at v is the symmetric bilinear form also known as the fundamental tensor of F at v . Strong convexity of F implies the subadditivity with a strict inequality if u/F(u) ≠ v/F(v) . If F is strongly convex, then it is a Minkowski norm on each tangent space. A Finsler metric is reversible if, in addition, F(−v) = F(v) for all tangent vectors v. A reversible Finsler metric defines a norm (in the usual sense) on each tangent space.

Examples

Randers manifolds

Let (M, a) be a Riemannian manifold and b a differential one-form on M with where is the inverse matrix of (a_{ij}) and the Einstein notation is used. Then defines a Randers metric on M and (M, F) is a Randers manifold, a special case of a non-reversible Finsler manifold.

Smooth quasimetric spaces

Let (M, d) be a quasimetric so that M is also a differentiable manifold and d is compatible with the differential structure of M in the following sense: Then one can define a Finsler function F: TM →[0, ∞] by where γ is any curve in M with γ(0) = x and γ'(0) = v. The Finsler function F obtained in this way restricts to an asymmetric (typically non-Minkowski) norm on each tangent space of M. The induced intrinsic metric dL: M × M → [0, ∞] of the original quasimetric can be recovered from and in fact any Finsler function F: TM → [ 0, ∞) defines an intrinsic quasimetric dL on M by this formula.

Geodesics

Due to the homogeneity of F the length of a differentiable curve γ: [a, b] → M in M is invariant under positively oriented reparametrizations. A constant speed curve γ is a geodesic of a Finsler manifold if its short enough segments γ|[c,d] are length-minimizing in M from γ(c) to γ(d). Equivalently, γ is a geodesic if it is stationary for the energy functional in the sense that its functional derivative vanishes among differentiable curves γ: [a, b] → M with fixed endpoints and.

Canonical spray structure on a Finsler manifold

The Euler–Lagrange equation for the energy functional E[γ] reads in the local coordinates (x1, ..., xn, v1, ..., vn) of TM as where k = 1, ..., n and gij is the coordinate representation of the fundamental tensor, defined as Assuming the strong convexity of F2(x, v) with respect to v ∈ TxM, the matrix gij(x, v) is invertible and its inverse is denoted by gij(x, v). Then is a geodesic of (M, F) if and only if its tangent curve is an integral curve of the smooth vector field H on TM∖{0} locally defined by where the local spray coefficients Gi are given by The vector field H on TM∖{0} satisfies JH = V and [V, H] = H, where J and V are the canonical endomorphism and the canonical vector field on TM∖{0}. Hence, by definition, H is a spray on M. The spray H defines a nonlinear connection on the fibre bundle TM∖{0} → M through the vertical projection In analogy with the Riemannian case, there is a version of the Jacobi equation for a general spray structure (M, H) in terms of the Ehresmann curvature and nonlinear covariant derivative.

Uniqueness and minimizing properties of geodesics

By Hopf–Rinow theorem there always exist length minimizing curves (at least in small enough neighborhoods) on (M, F). Length minimizing curves can always be positively reparametrized to be geodesics, and any geodesic must satisfy the Euler–Lagrange equation for E[γ]. Assuming the strong convexity of F2 there exists a unique maximal geodesic γ with γ(0) = x and γ'(0) = v for any (x, v) ∈ TM∖{0} by the uniqueness of integral curves. If F2 is strongly convex, geodesics γ: [0, b] → M are length-minimizing among nearby curves until the first point γ(s) conjugate to γ(0) along γ, and for t > s there always exist shorter curves from γ(0) to γ(t) near γ, as in the Riemannian case.