Understanding Differential Manifolds and Local Topologies in n-Dimensions

In summary, an n-dimensional differential manifold is locally endowed by topologies defined by the metrices from the local parametrisations. These topologies may all be different, but the manifold as a whole is a metric space.
  • #1
hedipaldi
210
0
Hi everebody,
I want to clear something.An n-dimentional differential manifoled is locally endowed by topologies defined by the metrices from the local parametrisations.I suppose that these topologies may all be different.Am i right?If i am mistaken ,then why?
thank's
 
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  • #2
i think you are mistaken. the local coordinate systems not only define the same topology on overlaps but also the same differentiable structure.
 
  • #3
I'm not sure I understand your question, but the manifold as a whole is a metric space, i.e., it has a global/general topology generated by ( with topological basis ) the open balls in the metric, where the distance is given by the length of the shortest path between points.
 
  • #4
hedipaldi said:
Hi everebody,
I want to clear something.An n-dimentional differential manifoled is locally endowed by topologies defined by the metrices from the local parametrisations.I suppose that these topologies may all be different.Am i right?If i am mistaken ,then why?
thank's

It follows from definition on manifold. It must be locally homeomorphic to ℝn, so it inherits topology from there. A subset O of manifold is open iff for every chart (U; γ) of M a coordinate representation of intersection of O and U is open in ℝn.

I might have not put it in the best way, but in fact its quite simple.

You don't even have to define manifold as a topological space, but as a set with an atlas, and topology follows from that.

Bacle2 said:
I'm not sure I understand your question, but the manifold as a whole is a metric space, i.e., it has a global/general topology generated by ( with topological basis ) the open balls in the metric, where the distance is given by the length of the shortest path between points.

Ordinary manifold shouldn't be a metric space I believe. You cannot measure lenghts on it.
 
  • #5
The standard definition/conditions for a topological space to be a manifold I know of, guarantees its metrizability: 2nd countable, paracompact, Hausdorff, etc. and then use some variants of Urysohn metrization theorem to guarantee its metrizable. I'll look up some refs. for a more detailed argument.
 
  • #6
I just checked Wiki and they state that 2nd countable manifolds are metrizable. Urysohn's metrization says that Hausdorff +2nd countable +regular => metrizable. In my use, these conditions are assumed..

Still, I may be off in stating that in all manifolds the topology is determined by path length,(so that open balls B(p,r) are given by path length) only when we have a Riemannian metric, so that the manifold becomes a(n) intrinsic length space. Maybe someone can double-check on that. See the 'examples' section in:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Length_space , for more, and a better explanation.

Basically, a Riemannian structure on M allows us to define the length of paths
between points. Then we define , for x,y in M , d_L(x,y) := inf {L(γ): γ:I→M; γ(0)=a,
γ(1)=b} , where L is the length of the path. One can show this d_L is a metric, and the topology determined by this metric ( i.e., base elements are open balls B(p,r)) agrees with the intrinsic topology of the manifold.

And I think we only need the manifold to be C^1 , for it to allow a Riemannian structure.
 
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  • #7
Bacle2 said:
I just checked Wiki and they state that 2nd countable manifolds are metrizable. Urysohn's metrization says that Hausdorff +2nd countable +regular => metrizable. In my use, these conditions are assumed..

Still, I may be off in stating that in all manifolds the topology is determined by path length,(so that open balls B(p,r) are given by path length) only when we have a Riemannian metric, so that the manifold becomes a(n) intrinsic length space. Maybe someone can double-check on that.

I capitulate, since I don't understand this area, but I think you mistook metric and metrizable space.
 
  • #8
Well, I am making a distinction between the Riemannian metric --more accurately metric tensor-- and a metric as a distance function in the manifold, if that is what you meant. My point is that a Riemannian metric gives rise to a distance function metric on the manifold by the method I stated in my previous post.
 
  • #9
Thank's all for your constructive replies
 

Related to Understanding Differential Manifolds and Local Topologies in n-Dimensions

1. What is a differential manifold?

A differential manifold is a mathematical concept used in the field of differential geometry. It is a topological space that locally looks like Euclidean space, but globally may have a more complicated structure. It is often described as a smooth, continuous surface that can be studied using calculus.

2. What are the key features of a differential manifold?

The key features of a differential manifold include its dimension, which is the number of coordinates needed to describe a point on the manifold, and its smoothness, which refers to the existence of smooth functions on the manifold. Other important features include its topology, curvature, and differentiability.

3. How are differential manifolds used in physics?

Differential manifolds are used in physics to describe the geometry of space and time. In Einstein's theory of general relativity, the concept of a manifold is used to describe the curvature of space-time caused by the presence of matter and energy. Manifolds are also used in other areas of physics, such as in the study of gauge theories and quantum field theory.

4. What is the difference between a differentiable manifold and a smooth manifold?

A differentiable manifold is a mathematical object that is equipped with a smooth structure, meaning that it has a set of smooth functions defined on it. A smooth manifold, on the other hand, is a differentiable manifold that is also Hausdorff and paracompact, which are additional mathematical properties that ensure the manifold is well-behaved and can be studied using calculus.

5. What are some applications of differential manifolds?

Differential manifolds have numerous applications in mathematics, physics, and engineering. In addition to their use in the study of space-time in general relativity, they are also used in the fields of computer graphics and computer vision to model and analyze complex surfaces. They are also used in robotics, control theory, and machine learning for tasks such as path planning and motion control. Differential manifolds are also important in the study of dynamical systems and chaos theory.

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