Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2025/iii/paper-115/3/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 115 3 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
If has local frame transition matrices and the cotangent bundle has transitions , then has local trivializations with transitionswhich satisfy the cocycle condition. Thus it is a well-defined tensor product of vector bundles.
A connection on a vector bundle is a linear mapsatisfying . Contracting with a vector field gives the covariant derivative . In a local frame, for a matrix-valued one-form ; under a frame change the matrix transforms asIts covariant exterior derivative is defined byand locallyThis formula and the graded Leibniz rule show that definitions in different frames agree.
The curvature form of a connection is . Locally,Its covariant derivative satisfies the Bianchi identityIndeed, substituting , using , and applying the graded Leibniz rule leaves equal and opposite terms.
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