Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the concept of foliations in differential geometry, specifically focusing on foliations of a manifold with codimension one leaves that are isometric. Participants explore the terminology associated with such foliations and their implications, particularly in the context of General Relativity.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- One participant inquires about the specific term for a foliation of a manifold with isometric leaves, noting that they found "quasi-isometric foliations" but do not believe it aligns with their definition.
- Another participant suggests that the inquiry may lack responses due to insufficient information and requests additional details or findings.
- A third participant relates the concept to General Relativity, explaining that if hypersurfaces are isometric and space-like, a global time coordinate can be defined, leading to the concept of Cauchy surfaces and globally hyperbolic space-times.
- A fourth participant discusses two interpretations of isometric foliations: one as a foliation of a manifold into mutually isometric leaves, and another involving two (pseudo-)Riemannian manifolds with an isometry between their leaves. They express uncertainty about existing terminology and suggest that "isometric foliation" may not be the best choice.
- This participant also proposes that defining one's own terminology might be a viable approach if existing terms are inadequate.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants do not reach a consensus on the terminology for foliations with isometric leaves, and multiple interpretations and uncertainties about the definitions remain evident throughout the discussion.
Contextual Notes
There are limitations regarding the clarity of definitions and the potential overlap between different concepts in differential geometry and General Relativity. The discussion reflects a lack of established terminology for the specific type of foliation being discussed.