Meaning of integrating exterior forms

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter KamYi
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Forms Integrating
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the integration of exterior p-forms, specifically multilinear antisymmetric maps from p copies of a vector space to the reals. The user questions how to interpret the integral of a p-form over a submanifold of dimension p, particularly regarding the summation of p-forms at different points along the submanifold. The user concludes that the integral can be evaluated by using the corresponding basis tangent vectors in a coordinate patch, ensuring independence from reparametrization.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of exterior p-forms and their properties
  • Familiarity with manifold theory and tangent spaces
  • Knowledge of multilinear antisymmetric maps
  • Basic concepts of integration in differential geometry
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the properties of multilinear antisymmetric maps in depth
  • Explore the concept of integration on manifolds
  • Learn about the relationship between p-forms and tangent vectors in differential geometry
  • Investigate reparametrization invariance in integrals of differential forms
USEFUL FOR

Mathematicians, physicists, and students of differential geometry who are looking to deepen their understanding of exterior forms and their applications in integration over manifolds.

KamYi
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
I just discovered this forum: very very nice!

And here's my first question:
An exterior p-form is a multilinear antisymmetric map from p copies of a vector space (in particular, a tangent space located at some point P of a manifold) to the reals.

Now what could it mean to have an integral of a p-form over a submanifold of dimension p?? If I think of the integral as a sum of p-forms at different points P along the submanifold, then what would the argument of the sum of the p-forms be? At each point it should be a *different* argument, so how can you add p-forms at different points??

Edit: Is this the answer? By definition of the integral, the p-form \alpha^p in any coordinate patch such that \alpha=a_idx^i, is to be evaluated by taking as arguments the corresponding basis tangent vectors \partial/\partial x^i. That indeed makes the integral independent of reparametrization.

Thanks,

S.
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
I don't think there are experts who can answer your nor my question.. sad.. T_T
 
precondition said:
I don't think there are experts who can answer your nor my question.. sad.. T_T

Oh darn, I thought someone answered my question :wink:
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 73 ·
3
Replies
73
Views
9K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
4K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 36 ·
2
Replies
36
Views
6K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K