The Geometry Of Curvature Homogeneous Pseudo Riemannian Manifolds

"Pseudo-Riemannian geometry is an active research field not only in differential geometry but also in mathematical physics where the higher signature geometries play a role in brane theory. An essential reference tool for research mathematicians and physicists, this book also serves as a useful introduction to students entering this active and rapidly growing field. The author presents a comprehensive treatment of several aspects of pseudo-Riemannian geometry, including the spectral geometry of the curvature tensor, curvature homogeneity, and Stanilov-Tsankov-Videv theory."--BOOK JACKET.

Basic algebraic notions -- Introduction -- A historical perspective in the algebraic context -- Algebraic preliminaries -- Jordan normal form -- Indefinite geometry -- Algebraic curvature tensors -- Hermitian and para-Hermitian geometry -- The Jacobi and skew symmetric curvature operators -- Sectional, Ricci, scalar, and Weyl curvature -- Curvature decompositions -- Self-duality and anti-self-duality conditions -- Spectral geometry of the curvature operator -- Osserman and conformally Osserman models -- Osserman curvature models in signature (2, 2) -- Ivanov-Petrova curvature models -- Osserman Ivanov-Petrova curvature models -- Commuting curvature models -- Basic geometrical notions -- Introduction -- History -- Basic manifold theory -- The tangent bundle, lie bracket, and lie groups -- The cotangent bundle and symplectic geometry -- Connections, curvature, geodesics, and holonomy -- Pseudo-Riemannian geometry -- The Levi-Civita connection -- Associated natural operators -- Weyl scalar invariants -- Null distributions -- Pseudo-Riemannian holonomy -- Other geometric structures -- Pseudo-Hermitian and para-Hermitian structures -- Hyper-para-Hermitian structures -- Geometric realizations -- Homogeneous spaces, and curvature homogeneity -- Technical results in differential equations -- Walker structures -- Introduction -- Historical development -- Walker coordinates -- Examples of Walker manifolds -- Hypersurfaces with nilpotent shape operators -- Locally conformally flat metrics with nilpotent Ricci operator -- Degenerate pseudo-Riemannian homogeneous structures -- Para-Kaehler geometry -- Two-step nilpotent lie groups with degenerate center -- Conformally symmetric pseudo-Riemannian metrics -- Riemannian extensions -- The affine category -- Twisted Riemannian extensions defined by flat connections -- Modified Riemannian extensions defined by flat connections -- Nilpotent Walker manifolds -- Osserman Riemannian extensions -- Ivanov-Petrova Riemannian extensions -- Three-dimensional Lorentzian Walker manifolds -- Introduction -- History -- Three dimensional Walker geometry -- Adapted coordinates -- The Jordan normal form of the Ricci operator -- Christoffel symbols, curvature, and the Ricci tensor -- Locally symmetric Walker manifolds -- Einstein-like manifolds -- The spectral geometry of the curvature tensor -- Curvature commutativity properties -- Local geometry of Walker manifolds with -- Foliated Walker manifolds -- Contact Walker manifolds -- Strict Walker manifolds -- Three dimensional homogeneous Lorentzian manifolds -- Three dimensional lie groups and lie algebras -- Curvature homogeneous Lorentzian manifolds -- Diagonalizable Ricci operator -- Type II Ricci operator -- Four-dimensional Walker manifolds -- Introduction -- History -- Four-dimensional Walker manifolds -- Almost para-Hermitian geometry -- Isotropic almost para-Hermitian structures -- Characteristic classes -- Self-dual Walker manifolds -- The spectral geometry of the curvature tensor -- Introduction -- History -- Four-dimensional Osserman metrics -- Osserman metrics with diagonalizable Jacobi operator -- Osserman Walker type II metrics -- Osserman and Ivanov-Petrova metrics -- Riemannian extensions of affine surfaces -- Affine surfaces with skew symmetric Ricci tensor -- Affine surfaces with symmetric and degenerate Ricci tensor -- Riemannian extensions with commuting curvature operators -- Other examples with commuting curvature operators -- Hermitian geometry -- Introduction -- History -- Almost Hermitian geometry of Walker manifolds -- The proper almost Hermitian structure of a Walker manifold -- Proper almost hyper-para-Hermitian structures -- Hermitian Walker manifolds of dimension four -- Proper Hermitian Walker structures -- Locally conformally Kaehler structures -- Almost Kaehler Walker four-dimensional manifolds -- Special Walker manifolds -- Introduction -- History -- Curvature commuting conditions -- Curvature homogeneous strict Walker manifolds -- Bibliography.

This book provides an up-to-date presentation of homogeneous pseudo-Riemannian structures, an essential tool in the study of pseudo-Riemannian homogeneous spaces. Benefiting from large symmetry groups, these spaces are of high interest in Geometry and Theoretical Physics. Since the seminal book by Tricerri and Vanhecke, the theory of homogeneous structures has been considerably developed and many applications have been found. The present work covers a gap in the literature of more than 35 years, presenting the latest contributions to the field in a modern geometric approach, with special focus on manifolds equipped with pseudo-Riemannian metrics. This unique reference on the topic will be of interest to researchers working in areas of mathematics where homogeneous spaces play an important role, such as Differential Geometry, Global Analysis, General Relativity, and Particle Physics.

The first part of this book provides a self-contained and accessible introduction to the subject in the general setting of pseudo-Riemannian manifolds and their non-degenerate submanifolds, only assuming from the reader some basic knowledge about manifold theory. A number of recent results on pseudo-Riemannian submanifolds are also included.The second part of this book is on ë-invariants, which was introduced in the early 1990s by the author. The famous Nash embedding theorem published in 1956 was aimed for, in the hope that if Riemannian manifolds could be regarded as Riemannian submanifolds, this would then yield the opportunity to use extrinsic help. However, this hope had not been materialized as pointed out by M Gromov in his 1985 article published in Asterisque. The main reason for this is the lack of control of the extrinsic invariants of the submanifolds by known intrinsic invariants. In order to overcome such difficulties, as well as to provide answers for an open question on minimal immersions, the author introduced in the early 1990s new types of Riemannian invariants, known as ë-invariants, which are very different in nature from the classical Ricci and scalar curvatures. At the same time he was able to establish general optimal relations between ë-invariants and the main extrinsic invariants. Since then many new results concerning these ë-invariants have been obtained by many geometers. The second part of this book is to provide an extensive and comprehensive survey over this very active field of research done during the last two decades.

Pseudo-Riemannian geometry is an active research field not only in differential geometry but also in mathematical physics where the higher signature geometries play a role in brane theory. An essential reference tool for research mathematicians and physicists, this book also serves as a useful introduction to students entering this active and rapidly growing field. The author presents a comprehensive treatment of several aspects of pseudo-Riemannian geometry, including the spectral geometry of the curvature tensor, curvature homogeneity, and Stanilov–Tsankov–Videv theory. Contents:The Geometry of the Riemann Curvature TensorCurvature Homogeneous Generalized Plane Wave ManifoldsOther Pseudo-Riemannian ManifoldsThe Curvature TensorComplex Osserman Algebraic Curvature TensorsStanilov-Tsankov Theory Readership: Researchers in differential geometry and mathematical physics. Keywords:Algebraic Curvature Tensor;Curvature Homogeneous;Generalized Plane Wave Manifold;Lorentz Manifold;Osserman Conjecture;Pseudo-Riemannian Manifold;Stanilov-Tsankov-Videv TheoryKey Features:A comprehensive and self-contained discussion of curvature homogeneity in the context of pseudo-Riemannian geometryExamples which are k-curvature homogeneous of arbitrary order are providedContains a classification of complex Osserman algebraic curvature tensors given by Clifford families as well as a discussion of Stanilov-Tsankov-Videv theoryContains a comprehensive bibliographyReviews:“This book represents an essential reference tool for research mathematicians and physicists, and it also serves as a useful introduction to students entering this rapidly growing field.”Mathematical Reviews

This book provides an introduction to and survey of recent developments in pseudo-Riemannian geometry, including applications in mathematical physics, by leading experts in the field. Topics covered are: Classification of pseudo-Riemannian symmetric spaces Holonomy groups of Lorentzian and pseudo-Riemannian manifolds Hypersymplectic manifolds Anti-self-dual conformal structures in neutral signature and integrable systems Neutral Kahler surfaces and geometric optics Geometry and dynamics of the Einstein universe Essential conformal structures and conformal transformations in pseudo-Riemannian geometry The causal hierarchy of spacetimes Geodesics in pseudo-Riemannian manifolds Lorentzian symmetric spaces in supergravity Generalized geometries in supergravity Einstein metrics with Killing leaves The book is addressed to advanced students as well as to researchers in differential geometry, global analysis, general relativity and string theory. It shows essential differences between the geometry on manifolds with positive definite metrics and on those with indefinite metrics, and highlights the interesting new geometric phenomena, which naturally arise in the indefinite metric case. The reader finds a description of the present state of the art in the field as well as open problems, which can stimulate further research.

This book, which focuses on the study of curvature, is an introduction to various aspects of pseudo-Riemannian geometry. We shall use Walker manifolds (pseudo-Riemannian manifolds which admit a non-trivial parallel null plane field) to exemplify some of the main differences between the geometry of Riemannian manifolds and the geometry of pseudo-Riemannian manifolds and thereby illustrate phenomena in pseudo-Riemannian geometry that are quite different from those which occur in Riemannian geometry, i.e. for indefinite as opposed to positive definite metrics. Indefinite metrics are important in many diverse physical contexts: classical cosmological models (general relativity) and string theory to name but two. Walker manifolds appear naturally in numerous physical settings and provide examples of extremal mathematical situations as will be discussed presently. To describe the geometry of a pseudo-Riemannian manifold, one must first understand the curvature of the manifold. We shall analyze a wide variety of curvature properties and we shall derive both geometrical and topological results. Special attention will be paid to manifolds of dimension 3 as these are quite tractable. We then pass to the 4 dimensional setting as a gateway to higher dimensions. Since the book is aimed at a very general audience (and in particular to an advanced undergraduate or to a beginning graduate student), no more than a basic course in differential geometry is required in the way of background. To keep our treatment as self-contained as possible, we shall begin with two elementary chapters that provide an introduction to basic aspects of pseudo-Riemannian geometry before beginning on our study of Walker geometry. An extensive bibliography is provided for further reading. Math subject classifications : Primary: 53B20 -- (PACS: 02.40.Hw) Secondary: 32Q15, 51F25, 51P05, 53B30, 53C50, 53C80, 58A30, 83F05, 85A04 Table of Contents: Basic Algebraic Notions / Basic Geometrical Notions / Walker Structures / Three-Dimensional Lorentzian Walker Manifolds / Four-Dimensional Walker Manifolds / The Spectral Geometry of the Curvature Tensor / Hermitian Geometry / Special Walker Manifolds

The first part of this book provides a self-contained and accessible introduction to the subject in the general setting of pseudo-Riemannian manifolds and their non-degenerate submanifolds, only assuming from the reader some basic knowledge about manifold theory. A number of recent results on pseudo-Riemannian submanifolds are also included. The second part of this book is on δ-invariants, which was introduced in the early 1990s by the author. The famous Nash embedding theorem published in 1956 was aimed for, in the hope that if Riemannian manifolds could be regarded as Riemannian submanifolds, this would then yield the opportunity to use extrinsic help. However, this hope had not been materialized as pointed out by M Gromov in his 1985 article published in Asterisque. The main reason for this is the lack of control of the extrinsic invariants of the submanifolds by known intrinsic invariants. In order to overcome such difficulties, as well as to provide answers for an open question on minimal immersions, the author introduced in the early 1990s new types of Riemannian invariants, known as δ-invariants, which are very different in nature from the classical Ricci and scalar curvatures. At the same time he was able to establish general optimal relations between δ-invariants and the main extrinsic invariants. Since then many new results concerning these δ-invariants have been obtained by many geometers. The second part of this book is to provide an extensive and comprehensive survey over this very active field of research done during the last two decades. Contents:Pseudo-Riemannian ManifoldsBasics on Pseudo-Riemannian SubmanifoldsSpecial Pseudo-Riemannian SubmanifoldsWarped Products and Twisted ProductsRobertson–Walker SpacetimesHodge Theory, Elliptic Differential Operators and Jacobi's Elliptic FunctionsSubmanifolds of Finite TypeTotal Mean CurvaturePseudo-Kähler ManifoldsPara-Kähler ManifoldsPseudo-Riemannian SubmersionsContact Metric Manifolds and Submanifoldsδ-Invariants, Inequalities and Ideal ImmersionsSome Applications of δ-InvariantsApplications to Kähler and Para-Kähler GeometryApplications to Contact GeometryApplications to Affine GeometryApplications to Riemannian SubmersionsNearly Kähler Manifolds and Nearly Kähler S6(1)δ(2)-Ideal Immersions Readership: Graduate and PhD students in differential geometry and related fields; researchers in differential geometry and related fields; theoretical physicists. Keywords:Pseudo-Riemannian Submanifold;δ-Invariants;Spacetimes;Submersion;Lagrangian Submanifolds;Sasakian Manifold;Total Mean Curvature;Submanifold of Finite Type;Affine HypersurfaceKey Features:This is the only book that provides general results on pseudo-Riemannian submanifoldsThis is the only book that provides detailed account on δ-invariantsAt the beginning of each chapter, historical background is providedReviews: “This book gives an extensive and in-depth overview of the theory of pseudo-Riemannian submanifolds and of the delta-invariants. It is written in an accessible and quite self-contained way. Hence it is recommendable for a very broad audience of students and mathematicians interested in the geometry of submanifolds.” Mathematical Reviews “This books is an extensive and comprehensive survey on pseudo–Riemannian submanifolds and δ–invariants as well as their applications. In every aspect, this is an excellent book, invaluable both for learning the topic and a reference. Therefore, it should be strongly recommended for students and mathematicians interested in the geometry of pseudo-Riemannian submanifolds.” Zentralblatt MATH