Geometry Of Vector Fields

Presenting a classical approach to the foundations and development of the geometry of vector fields, this volume space, three orthogonal systems, and applications in mechanics. Other topics, including vector fields, Pfaff forms and systems in n-dimensional space, foliations and Godbillon-Vey invariant, are also considered. There is much interest in the study of geometrical objects in n-dimensional Euclidean space, and this volume provides a useful and comprehensive presentation.

An excellent reference for anyone needing to examine properties of harmonic vector fields to help them solve research problems. The book provides the main results of harmonic vector ?elds with an emphasis on Riemannian manifolds using past and existing problems to assist you in analyzing and furnishing your own conclusion for further research. It emphasizes a combination of theoretical development with practical applications for a solid treatment of the subject useful to those new to research using differential geometric methods in extensive detail. A useful tool for any scientist conducting research in the field of harmonic analysis Provides applications and modern techniques to problem solving A clear and concise exposition of differential geometry of harmonic vector fields on Reimannian manifolds Physical Applications of Geometric Methods

This book provides the reader with a gentle path through the multifaceted theory of vector fields, starting from the definitions and the basic properties of vector fields and flows, and ending with some of their countless applications, in the framework of what is nowadays called Geometrical Analysis. Once the background material is established, the applications mainly deal with the following meaningful settings:

This volume, first published in 2000, presents a classical approach to the foundations and development of the geometry of vector fields, describing vector fields in three-dimensional Euclidean space, triply-orthogonal systems and applications in mechanics. Topics covered include Pfaffian forms, systems in n-dimensional space, and foliations and their Godbillion-Vey invariant. There is much interest in the study of geometrical objects in n-dimensional Euclidean space and this volume provides a useful and comprehensive presentation.

This textbook serves as an introduction to modern differential geometry at a level accessible to advanced undergraduate and master's students. It places special emphasis on motivation and understanding, while developing a solid intuition for the more abstract concepts. In contrast to graduate level references, the text relies on a minimal set of prerequisites: a solid grounding in linear algebra and multivariable calculus, and ideally a course on ordinary differential equations. Manifolds are introduced intrinsically in terms of coordinate patches glued by transition functions. The theory is presented as a natural continuation of multivariable calculus; the role of point-set topology is kept to a minimum. Questions sprinkled throughout the text engage students in active learning, and encourage classroom participation. Answers to these questions are provided at the end of the book, thus making it ideal for independent study. Material is further reinforced with homework problems ranging from straightforward to challenging. The book contains more material than can be covered in a single semester, and detailed suggestions for instructors are provided in the Preface.

This paper is a contribution to the topological study of vector fields on manifolds. In particular we shall be concerned with the problems of exist ence of r linearly independent vector fields. For r = 1 the classical result of H. Hopf asserts that the vanishing of the Euler characteristic is the necessary and sufficient condition, and our results will give partial extens ions of Hopf's theorem to the case r > 1. Arecent article by E. Thomas [10] gives a good survey of work in this general area. Our approach to these problems is based on the index theory of elliptic differential operators and is therefore rather different from the standard topological approach. Briefly speaking, what we do is to observe that certain invariants of a manifold (Euler characteristic, signature, etc. ) are indices of elliptic operators (see [5]) and the existence of a certain number of vector fields implies certain symmetry conditions for these operators and hence corresponding results for their indices. In this way we obtain certain necessary conditions for the existence of vector fields and, more generally , for the existence of fields of tangent planes. For example, one of our results is the following THEOREM (1. 1). Let X be a compact oriented smooth manifold 0/ dimension 4 q, and assume that X possesses a tangent fteld of oriented 2-planes (that is, an oriented 2-dimensional sub-bundle 0/ the tangent vector bundle).

The primary focus of this workshop concerns the interplay between the rich variety of structures and infinitesimal methods. The topics included in the volume are complex and harmonic analysis, complex algebraic geometry, differential geometry, mathematical physics and topology.

Vector fields on manifolds play a major role in mathematics and other sciences. In particular, the Poincaré-Hopf index theorem gives rise to the theory of Chern classes, key manifold-invariants in geometry and topology. It is natural to ask what is the ‘good’ notion of the index of a vector field, and of Chern classes, if the underlying space becomes singular. The question has been explored by several authors resulting in various answers, starting with the pioneering work of M.-H. Schwartz and R. MacPherson. We present these notions in the framework of the obstruction theory and the Chern-Weil theory. The interplay between these two methods is one of the main features of the monograph.