Conformal geodesics are not variational in higher dimensions

Fuente: arXiv
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1. Verfasser: Kruglikov, Boris
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Kruglikov, Boris
author_facet Kruglikov, Boris
contents Variationality of the equation of conformal geodesics is an important problem in geometry with applications to general relativity. Recently it was proven that, in three dimensions, this system of equations for un-parametrized curves is the Euler-Lagrange equations of a certain conformally invariant functional, while the parametrized system in three dimensions is not variational. We demonstrate that variationality fails in higher dimensions for both parametrized and un-parametrized conformal geodesics, indicating that variational principle may be the selection principle for the physical dimension.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_06739
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Conformal geodesics are not variational in higher dimensions
Kruglikov, Boris
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Mathematical Physics
Classical Analysis and ODEs
Differential Geometry
Variationality of the equation of conformal geodesics is an important problem in geometry with applications to general relativity. Recently it was proven that, in three dimensions, this system of equations for un-parametrized curves is the Euler-Lagrange equations of a certain conformally invariant functional, while the parametrized system in three dimensions is not variational. We demonstrate that variationality fails in higher dimensions for both parametrized and un-parametrized conformal geodesics, indicating that variational principle may be the selection principle for the physical dimension.
title Conformal geodesics are not variational in higher dimensions
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Mathematical Physics
Classical Analysis and ODEs
Differential Geometry
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.06739