Differential Geometry. Honours 1996

In summary: R |--->R, so the bar makes it work.In summary, this website contains a document on co-ordinate independent calculus which covers topics such as smooth functions, the chain rule, differentiable manifolds, tangent spaces, vector fields, differential forms, integration, and more. The document also includes a section on a specific notation used for differentiation, where the arrow and bar symbols denote a function that takes a certain input to a certain output.
  • #1
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http://www.maths.adelaide.edu.au/michael.murray/dg_hons/

Contents
Co-ordinate independent calculus.
Introduction
Smooth functions
Derivatives as linear operators.
The chain rule.
Diffeomorphisms and the inverse function theorem.
Differentiable manifolds
Co-ordinate charts
Linear manifolds.
Topology of a manifold
Smooth functions on a manifold.
The tangent space.
The derivative of a function.
Co-ordinate tangent vectors and one-forms.
How to calculate.
Submanifolds
Tangent space to a submanifold
Smooth functions between manifolds
The tangent to a smooth map.
Submanifolds again.
Vector fields.
The Lie bracket.
Differential forms.
The exterior algebra of a vector space.
Differential forms and the exterior derivative.
Pulling back differential forms
Integration of differential forms
Orientation.
Integration again
Stokes theorem.
Manifolds with boundary.
Stokes theorem.
Partitions of unity.
Vector fields and the tangent bundle.
Vector fields and derivations.
Tensor products
About this document ...
 
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  • #3
On page 2 of the pdf, section 1.3, what does that funny arrow pointing t to f(x+tv) mean?

I just ignored the t and the arrow and only had f(x+tv) to be differentiated and it makes sense, but I still can't figure out what the t and the arrow mean.

The linear map is v to the derivative so if the arrow means some sort of mapping I don't get it as t is not mapped, v is.
 
  • #4
The arrow, together with the symbols on the left and on the right, mean "the function that takes the thing on the left to the thing on the right". That part of his notation is totally standard, so I'm surprised you don't recognize it. For example, [itex]x\mapsto f(x)[/itex] is the function that takes x to f(x). That function is of course usually written as [itex]f[/itex]. This guy is writing [tex]t\mapsto f(x+tv)[/itex] to emphasize that that's the function he's taking the derivative of. Note that f(x+tv) isn't a function. It's a member of the range of f.

In this case, it's completely pointless to emphasize that, since writing the derivative operator as d/dt is enough to show the reader what function he's taking the derivative of. It would have made more sense if he had written [itex](t\mapsto f(x+tv))'(0)[/itex].
 
  • #5
Got it, thanks. I think the bar at the end of the arrow threw me off. The notes have

f: R --->R and not f: R |--->R

but when you insert something more specific it's:

t |---> f(x+tv)
 

What is differential geometry?

Differential geometry is a branch of mathematics that studies the geometric properties of smooth curves, surfaces, and higher dimensional objects. It uses techniques from calculus, linear algebra, and topology to understand the curvature, length, and shape of these objects.

What are some applications of differential geometry?

Differential geometry has many applications in fields such as physics, engineering, and computer graphics. It is used to model the shape of objects in space, understand the behavior of particles moving along curved paths, and design curved surfaces in architecture and design.

How is differential geometry different from classical geometry?

Classical geometry, also known as Euclidean geometry, deals with the properties of shapes in a flat, two-dimensional space. Differential geometry, on the other hand, studies the properties of curves and surfaces in a higher dimensional space, and takes into account the effects of curvature and other geometric properties.

What are some key concepts in differential geometry?

Some key concepts in differential geometry include manifolds, which are spaces that locally look like Euclidean space but may have different global properties, and tensors, which are mathematical objects that describe the geometric properties of a space. Other important concepts include curvature, geodesics, and Riemannian metrics.

What are some famous theorems in differential geometry?

Some famous theorems in differential geometry include the Gauss-Bonnet theorem, which relates the curvature of a surface to its topology, and the Gauss-Codazzi equations, which describe the relationship between the intrinsic and extrinsic geometry of a surface. Other important theorems include the fundamental theorem of surface theory and the Nash embedding theorem.

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