Tangent Spaces of Parametrized Sets - McInerney, Defn 3.3.5

In summary, Definition 3.3.5 in Andrew McInerney's book "First Steps in Differential Geometry: Riemannian, Contact, Symplectic" defines the smoothness of a parametrized curve c on a geometric set S as the existence of a smooth function \tilde{c} on a small neighborhood of the point p such that c is the composition of \tilde{c} and a chart (U, \phi) of S in \mathbb{R}^n. This approach allows for the consideration of curved shapes and hills in the set S.
  • #1
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I am reading Andrew McInerney's book: First Steps in Differential Geometry: Riemannian, Contact, Symplectic ...

I am currently focussed on Chapter 3: Advanced Calculus ... and in particular I am studying Section 3.3 Geometric Sets and Subspaces of [itex]T_p ( \mathbb{R}^n )[/itex] ...

I need help with a basic aspect of Definition 3.3.5 ...

Definition 3.3.5 reads as follows:

?temp_hash=7aeccc5a693e5199bafcc0495a9943fc.png
In the above definition we find the following:

" ... ... Here, when we say that a parametrized curve [itex]c \ : \ I \longrightarrow S[/itex] is smooth, we mean that there is a smooth function [itex]\tilde{c} \ : \ I \longrightarrow U[/itex] such that [itex]c = \phi \circ \tilde{c} [/itex] ... ... "

My question is as follows:

Why do we need to bother defining [itex]\tilde{c}[/itex] ... the codomain of [itex]c[/itex] is defined as [itex]S[/itex] ... so we surely only need to stipulate that [itex]c[/itex] is continuously differentiable or [itex]C^1[/itex] ... that is the usual definition of 'smooth' so why isn't this enough ...

... ... so, my question is then, why do we bother defining [itex]\tilde{c}[/itex] and then go on to consider the composite function [itex]c = \phi \circ \tilde{c}[/itex] ... ?Hope someone can help ...

Peter===========================================================

To give the context for McInerney's approach to this definition I am providing the introduction to Section 3.3 as follows:
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You can imagine the following situation. Think of ##S## being the city in which you live, ##p## your home and ##U## a roadmap of it.
The formula basically states that you can use a path ##I## on your map and project it to the actually city as well as finding it in reality.

The point is that ##S## can be of any shape, e.g. curved (or with hills in the example above).
Smoothness is a local property, i.e. it holds on small neighbourhoods around ##p##, even if for any ##p##. Instead to define what small neighbourhoods in ##S## are, we take a chart ##(U,\phi)## of ##S## in ##ℝ^n## where we already know what smooth means and define it with the help of ##\tilde{c}## and the requirements that ##\tilde{c}## is smooth and ##c=\phi \cdot \tilde{c}##.
 
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1. What is a tangent space of a parametrized set?

A tangent space of a parametrized set is a vector space that represents the possible directions of motion at a particular point on the set. It is defined as the set of all velocity vectors of curves that pass through the given point.

2. How is a tangent space defined in McInerney's definition 3.3.5?

In McInerney's definition 3.3.5, a tangent space is defined as the set of all velocity vectors of curves that pass through a specific point on a parametrized set.

3. What is the difference between a parametrized set and a tangent space?

A parametrized set is a set of points that can be described by a set of parameters, while a tangent space is a vector space that represents the possible directions of motion at a specific point on the parametrized set.

4. How is a tangent space useful in mathematics?

A tangent space is useful in mathematics because it allows for the study of local behavior and motion of a parametrized set. It also helps to define concepts such as derivatives and tangent vectors, which are essential in many areas of mathematics, including differential geometry and calculus.

5. Can a tangent space be visualized?

Yes, a tangent space can be visualized as a vector space attached to each point on a parametrized set. This can be represented graphically as arrows pointing in different directions at each point, depicting the possible directions of motion at that point on the set.

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