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Onamor
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Homework Statement
If I have a two curves [tex]\gamma_{1}, \gamma_{2}[/tex] with the same start and end points, lying on a smooth manifold [tex]M[/tex]. For a vector [tex]v[/tex] at the "start" point, if I parallelly transport down both curves to the "end" point, will the two vectors at the "end" be different or the same?
Not a very formal question, but I'm very shakey on what parallell transport actually means.
Homework Equations
A vector [tex]v^{i}[/tex] is said to be parallelly transported from the point [tex]x^{k}[/tex] to a vector [tex]v^{i}+dv^{i}[/tex] at the point [tex]x^{i}+dx^{i}[/tex] if [tex]dv^{i}=\Gamma_{kj}^{i}v^{j}dx^{k}[/tex]
where [tex]\Gamma_{kj}^{i}[/tex] are the Christoffel symbols/Connection.
(this is out of my notes - I don't see why the "starting" point should be [tex]x^{k}[/tex] and not [tex]x^{i}[/tex] though.)
The Attempt at a Solution
I think the answer is "yes" - it does matter which curve is chosen because, as I understand it, this difference is what gives rise to the Riemann Curvature tensor.
As I said what exactly it means to "parallelly transport" a vector is not clear to me - is it that the "final" vector will be parallel to the "starting" vector?
Also, the above description I give of parallel transport looks as if it is only "effective" (perhaps "holds" is a better word) over the infinitesimal distance [tex]dx^{i}[/tex], and not over an entire curve - is this correct?
Thank you kindly for any help, please let me know if i can be more specific.