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A fixed-endpoint variation of a curve $\gamma :[a,b]\to S$ is a smooth family $\Gamma (s,t)$ with $\Gamma (0,t)=\gamma (t)$, $\Gamma (s,a)=\gamma (a)$ and $\Gamma (s,b)=\gamma (b)$. Its variation vector field $V(t)={\partial }_s\Gamma (0,t)$ vanishes at the endpoints. Consequently integration by parts in the first variation of energy of a curve has no boundary contribution, and stationarity is characterized by the geodesic equation.

A geodesic is a curve whose tangent vector is parallel along itself under the Levi-Civita connection. With an affine parameter it has zero covariant acceleration:This is the Riemannian manifold version of moving straight ahead with constant speed. Its coordinate form is the geodesic equation. In Euclidean space it becomes $\ddot{\gamma }=0$, giving straight lines. On an embedded surface with its induced metric, the ordinary acceleration of such a curve is normal to the surface: all acceleration is used to follow the surface, rather than to turn within it.

On a unit round sphere, the great circle $\gamma (t)=(\cos t,\sin t,0)$ has $\ddot{\gamma }(t)=-\gamma (t)$, which is normal to the sphere. Two points at $t=0$ and $t=\pi /3$ can be joined along that circle by the short arc of length $\pi /3$ or the long arc of length $5\pi /3$. Each admits a constant-speed geodesic parametrization, yet only the short arc realizes their great-circle distance.

Every geodesic minimizes arc length on sufficiently short subarcs. A long segment can cease to be globally minimizing, as the sphere example shows; the first loss from a starting point is described by the cut locus. Thus “locally straight” and “shortest route between these endpoints” are distinct assertions. On a circular cylinder, different winding gives the same distinction, made explicit by Riemannian distance on a circular cylinder.

This provides a useful division of work. The geodesic equation predicts a path from an initial point and tangent vector; comparing arc lengths decides which candidate solves a global shortest-route problem. Variations of energy of a curve give the equation as an Euler-Lagrange equation, offering a proof outline and a connection with classical mechanics. ^[ref].

For a surface metric $Ed{u}^2+2Fdudv+Gd{v}^2$, all coordinate curves are unparametrized geodesics precisely when the displayed identities hold. Parametrize $u=c$ by arc length, so $\dot{v}=G^{-1/2}$, and substitute into the transverse Euler-Lagrange equation for energy of a curve. This gives the first identity; $v=d$ gives the second. These identities concern geodesic images and do not assert that the coordinate variable itself is an affine parameter.

For a Riemannian metric $g$, write $s(t)=\sqrt{g_{\gamma (t)}(\dot{\gamma }(t),\dot{\gamma }(t))}$. Use the energy of a curve normalization compatible with the requested inequality:The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality here has the direct variance formEquality holds exactly when $s$ is constant almost everywhere, hence everywhere for a smooth curve. With the alternative energy of a curve convention containing a factor $1/2$, the same assertion reads $L^2\le 2E$.

In the upper half-plane write $\gamma =u+iv$, $v>0$, and use $d{s}^2=(d{u}^2+d{v}^2)/v^2$. Let the endpoints be $P=ip$, $Q=iq$, $p,q>0$. ThenThe first equality requires $\dot{u}=0$ throughout. Endpoint values force $u=0$. The second equality requires the derivative of $\log v$ to have one sign, so $v$ is monotone. Conversely every smooth monotone positive $v$ with these endpoints attains this bound. Consequently the absolute length minimizers are precisely the vertical curves with monotone height, including a constant curve when $P=Q$, and the distance is $|\log (q/p)|$.

For curves stationary for the energy of a curve, fixed-endpoint variations give the Euler–Lagrange equations for $F=({\dot{u}}^2+{\dot{v}}^2)/v^2$:Thus $\dot{u}=c{v}^2$ for a constant $c$. Since $u(1)-u(0)=0$, integration gives $c{\int }_0^1{v}^{2}dt=0$, hence $c=0$. The second equation then becomes $(\dot{v}/v{)}^{\prime }=0$. ThereforeIt has constant hyperbolic speed, is one of the absolute length minimizers, and also has minimum energy of a curve $E=[\log (q/p){]}^2$.

For a parametrized curve on the surface, the energy of a curve iswhere the first fundamental form coefficients are evaluated at $(u(t),v(t))$. A fixed-endpoint variation of a curve has coordinate variation fields $\eta ,\xi$ vanishing at $a,b$. Differentiating under the integral and integrating their derivative terms by parts givesThe fields can be chosen independently with compact support in $(a,b)$. Stationarity and the fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations therefore force both coefficients to vanish. These Euler-Lagrange equations are the geodesic equations:

Use the energy of a curve normalizationFor a variation $F(s,t)$ put $T={\partial }_{t}F$ and $V={\partial }_{s}F$. The Levi-Civita connection is torsion free, so ${\nabla }_{s}T={\nabla }_{t}V$. Differentiating energy once gives $E^{\prime }=[⟨V,T⟩{]}_a^b-\int ⟨V,{\nabla }_{t}T⟩$. Along a geodesic, ${\nabla }_{t}T=0$. Differentiating again, commuting covariant derivatives, and integrating by parts gives the second variation of geodesic energy:The curvature convention is $R(X,Y)Z={\nabla }_X{\nabla }_{Y}Z-{\nabla }_Y{\nabla }_{X}Z-{\nabla }_{[X,Y]}Z$, consistent with the specified positive sectional curvature. Indeed ${\nabla }_s{\nabla }_{t}V={\nabla }_t{\nabla }_{s}V+R(V,T)V$, and $⟨R(V,T)V,T⟩=-⟨R(V,T)T,V⟩$. The endpoint term vanishes for fixed endpoints or for periodic variations of a closed geodesic. The integral is the Riemannian index form $I(V,V)$.

Let $\dim M=2m$. Parallel transport around the closed geodesic preserves the metric and orientation, so lies in the special orthogonal group. It fixes the nonzero tangent $T$, and its restriction to $T^{\perp }$ is an orientation-preserving orthogonal map of odd dimension $2m-1$. An odd-dimensional special orthogonal transformation has a fixed vector: nonreal eigenvalues occur in conjugate pairs, while an odd-dimensional real orthogonal map with determinant one must have an eigenvalue $+1$. Choose a nonzero fixed vector $v$ normal to $T$ and parallel-transport it along the curve. It gives a nonzero smooth periodic normal field $V$ with ${\nabla }_{t}V=0$.

For the exponential variation ${\gamma }_s(t)={\exp }_{\gamma (t)}(sV(t))$, the endpoints match periodically. Strictly positive sectional curvature givesThus $E({\gamma }_s)<E(\gamma )$ for small nonzero $s$. By the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality,where the final equality uses the geodesic's constant speed. This proves the instability of a closed geodesic in positive even-dimensional curvature.

For an embedded closed geodesic, sufficiently small variations remain embeddings, hence give a smooth isotopy with strictly shorter curves. For a nonembedded closed geodesic the construction gives a smooth deformation through immersions; an isotopy class of embeddings is not literally defined for such a curve. The stated isotopy conclusion therefore uses the usual embedded-curve interpretation, while the shorter-loop variation holds without it.

For a smooth curve $\gamma (t)$ on a Riemannian surface, its energy of a curve isChoose a local parameterization $\mathbf{X}(u,v)$ and write $\gamma (t)=\mathbf{X}(u(t),v(t))$. With coefficients of the first fundamental formthe Lagrangian isThe Euler-Lagrange equations are equivalentlyAfter multiplying by the inverse metric these become the geodesic equationwhere the Christoffel symbols are determined by $E,F,G$.

If a straight line segment lies in the surface, parameterize it byThen $\ddot{\gamma }=0$, so its acceleration has zero tangential component. The two displayed equations hold directly, and the segment is a geodesic.

For the one-sheeted hyperboloidputTwo distinct ruling lines through $P$ areIndeed, the direction $d_{\pm }$ satisfiesso substitution shows that every point of the line lies in $H$. These are geodesics by the straight-line argument.

A third geodesic is the meridian through $P$. Choose $s_0$ with $\sinh s_0=z_0$; thenIts acceleration is ${\gamma }_m$, which is normal to $H$, so it is a geodesic. If $z_0\ne 0$, these give the required three distinct subsets.

If $z_0=0$, there is also the equatorial circle. Writing $P=(\cos {\theta }_0,\sin {\theta }_0,0)$,Its acceleration is normal to $H$ along $z=0$, so it is a fourth geodesic distinct from the meridian and the two rulings.

Finally, write $\rho =\sqrt{x^2+y^2}=\sqrt{1+z^2}$. Clairaut's relation gives the conserved quantityChoose initial data in $z>0$ withSince $|\sin \psi |\le 1$, every point of the resulting geodesic satisfies $\rho \ge c$, and thereforeContinuity keeps the geodesic in the component $z>0$, and the stated completeness assumption defines it for every real time. The continuum of choices of $c$ supplies infinitely many such geodesics.