Jesse Haas do Carmo text questions 1

Chapter 1.1
1 Prove that the antipodal mapping A : S n → S n given by A(p) = −p is an isometry of S n . Use this
fact to introduce a Riemannian metric on the real projective space P n (R) such that the natural projection
π : S n → P n (R) is a local isometry.
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2 Introduce a Riemannian metric on the torus T n in such a way that the natural natural projection π :
Rn → T n given by is a local isometry. Show that with this metric T n is isometric to the flat torus.
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3 Obtain an isometric immersion of the flat torus T n into T 2n .

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4 A function g : R → R given by g(t) = yt+x, t, x, y ∈ R, y > 0, is called a proper affine function. The subset
of all such functions with respect to the usual composition law forms a Lie group G. As a differentiable
manifold G is simply the upper half-plane {(x, y) ∈ R2 ; y > 0} with the differentiable structure induced from
R2 . Prove that:

(a) The left invariant-Riemannian metric of G which at the neutral element e = (0, 1) coincides with the
1
Euclidean metric g11 = g22 = 1, g12 = 0) is given by g11 = g22 = y2 , g12 = 0, (this is the metric of the
non-euclidean geometry of Lobatchevski).
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√
(b) Putting (x, y) = z = x + iy, i = −1, the transformation z → z 0 = ax+b
cz+d , a, b, c, d ∈ R, ad − bc = 1 is an
isometry of G.

Hint: Observe that the first fundamental form can be written as:
dx2 + dy 2 4dzdz̄
ds2 = =− .
y2 (z − z̄)2
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5 Prove that the isometries of S n ⊂ Rn+1 , with the induced metric, are the restrictions to S n of the linear
orthogonal maps of Rn+1 .
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6 Show that the relation ”M is locally isometric to N ” is not a symmetric relation.

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7 Let G be a compact connected Lie group (dimG = n). The object of this exercise is to prove that G has
a bi-invariant Riemannian metric. To do this, take the following approach:

(a) Let ω be a differential n-form on G invariant on the left, that is, L∗x ω = ω, for all x ∈ G. Prove that ω
is right invariant.
Hint: For any a ∈ G, R∗ ω is left invariant. It follows that R∗a ω = f (a)ω. Verify that f (ab) = f (a)f (b),
that is, f : G → R − {0} is a continuous homomorhpism of G into the multiplicative group of real
numbers. Since f (G) is a compact connected subgroup, the conclusion f (G) = 1 holds. Therefore
R∗a ω = ω.
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(b) Show that there exista a left invariant differential n-form ω on G.

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(c) Let h, i be a left invariant metric on G. Let ω be a positive differential n-form on G which is invariant
on the left, and define a new Riemannian metric hh, ii on G by
Z
hhu, viiy = h(dRx )y u, (dR)y viyx ω,
G

x, y ∈ G, quadu, v ∈ Ty (G).

Prove that this new Riemannian metric hh, ii is bi-invariant.

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1.2
1 Let M be a Riemannian manifold. Consider the mapping

P = Pc,t0 ,t (v) : Tc(t0 ) M → Tc(t) M

defined by: Pc,t0 ,t (v), v ∈ Tc(t0 ) M , is the vector obtained by parallel transporting the vector v along the
curve c. Show that P is an isometry and that, if M is oriented, P preserves the orientation.
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2 Let X and Y be differentiable vector fields on a Riemannian manifold M . Let p ∈ M and let c : I → M
dc
be an integral curve of X through p, i.e. c(t0 ) = p and dt = X(c(t)). Prove that the Riemannian connection
of M is

d −1 
(∇X Y )(p) = (Pc,t0 ,t (Y (c(t)))
dt t=t0

where Pc,t0 ,t : Tc(t0 ) M → Tc(t) M is the parallel transport along c, from t0 to t (this shows how the connection
can be reobtained from the concept of parallelism).
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3 Let f : M n → M̄ n+k be an immersion of a differentiable manifold M into a Riemannian manifold M̄ .

Assume that M has the Riemannian metric induced by f (cf. Example 2.5 of Chap. 1). Let p ∈ M and let
U ⊂ M be a neighborhood of p such that f (U ) ⊂ M̄ is a submanifold of M̄ . Further, suppose that X, Y are
differentiable vector fields on f (U ) which extend to differentiable vector fields X̄, Ȳ on an open set of M̄ .
Define (∇X Y )(p) = tangential component of ∇ ¯ X̄ Ȳ (p), where ∇
¯ is the Riemannian connection of M̄ . Prove
that ∇ is the Riemannian connection of M .
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4 Let M 2 ⊂ R3 be a surface in R3 with the induced Riemannian metric. Let c : I → M be a differentiable

curve on M and let V be vector field tangent to M along c; V can be thought of as a smooth function
V : I → R3 , with V (t) ∈ Tc(t) M .
dV dV
(a) Show that V is parallel if and only if dt is perpendicular to Tc(t) M ⊂ R3 where dt is the usual derivative
3
of V : I → R .
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(b) If S 2 ⊂ R3 is the unit sphere of R3 , show that the velocity field along great circles, parametrized by arc
length, is a parallel field. A similar argument holds for S n ⊂ Rn+ 1 .
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6 Let M be a Riemannian manifold and let p be a point of M . Consider a constant curve f : I → M given
by f (t) = p, for all t ∈ I. Let V be a vector field along f (that is, V is a differentiable mapping of I into
DV dV
Tp M ). Show that dt = dt , that is to say, the covariant derivative coincides with the usual derivative of
V : I → Tp M .
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8 Consider the upper half-plane

R2+ = {(x, y) ∈ R2 ; y > 0}

1
with the metric given by g11 = g22 = y2 , g12 = 0 (metric of Lobachevski’s non-euclidean geometry).
1
(a) Show that the Christoffel symbols of the Riemannian connection are : Γ111 = Γ212 = Γ122 = 0, Γ211 = y,
Γ112 = Γ222 − − y1 .
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(b) Let v0 = (0, 1) be a tangent vector at point (0, 1) of R2+ (v0 is a unit vector on the y-axis with origin
at (0,1)). Let v(t) be the parallel transport of v0 along the curve x = t, y = 1. Show that v(t) makes an
angle t with the direction of the y-axis, measured in the clockwise sense.

Hint: The field v(t) = (a(t), b(t)) satisfies the system

dv k X k j dxi
0= + Γij v , k = 1, . . . , n
dt i,j
dt

which defines a parallel field and which, in this case, simplifies to

(
da 1
dt + Γ12 b = 0,
db
dt + Γ211 a = 0.

Taking a = cos θ(t), b = sin θ(t) and noting that along the given curve we have y = 1, we obtain from the
dθ
equations above that dt = −1. Since v(0) = v0 , this implies that θ(t) = π/2 − t.