Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-relativity-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2019/section-a/3/solution

Use the geodesic Lagrangian , where dots denote an affine parameter derivative. The Euler-Lagrange equations give
These are the geodesic equations wherever , so the Riemannian metric is nondegenerate. Substitution of , and makes both equations proportional to
Thus is a family of affinely parametrized geodesics, on intervals staying within one quadrant. In particular, and keep the metric nonsingular; the coordinate axes themselves are not regular points of this metric. The coordinate need not be linear in the affine parameter, despite the straight coordinate-space shape of these curves.

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