Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-relativity-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2012/paper-1/1/c/solution

The geodesics of the product-weighted diagonal plane metric follow from the geodesic Lagrangian . With dots denoting an affine parameter derivative, its Euler-Lagrange equations give
Substituting with constant nonzero reduces both equations to . Thus is constant, and a suitable affine parametrization exists; explicitly, on a segment of fixed sign.
These straight rays are geodesics only in the regular domain . The metric tensor determinant is . On the axes, including the origin, this is a degenerate metric tensor: the calculation does not establish a regular geodesic continuing through the origin. The slope-zero ray is outside the regular domain. Geometrically, on each quadrant the change , gives . A fixed slope has constant and is therefore locally a radial geodesic of a flat metric tensor.

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