Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1892975 Journal of Geometry and Physics 2012 17 Pages PDF
Abstract

We discuss whether it is possible to reconstruct a metric from its nonparameterized geodesics, and how to do it effectively. We explain why this problem is interesting for general relativity. We show how to understand whether all curves from a sufficiently big family are nonparameterized geodesics of a certain affine connection, and how to reconstruct algorithmically a generic 4-dimensional metric from its nonparameterized geodesics. The algorithm works most effectively if the metric is Ricci-flat. We also prove that almost every metric does not allow nontrivial geodesic equivalence, and construct all pairs of 4-dimensional geodesically equivalent metrics of Lorentz signature.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Mathematics Mathematical Physics
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