Frobenius theorem

If $D={\bigcap }_{i=1}^q\ker {\alpha }^i$ has constant rank, the Frobenius theorem says that $D$ is integrable exactly when its annihilator is closed under the exterior derivative: equivalently,This is also equivalent to involutivity of $D$.

For a nowhere-zero 1-form $\alpha$, the hyperplane distribution $\ker \alpha$ is tangent to hypersurfaces exactly when $\alpha \wedge d\alpha =0$. In general relativity this characterizes hypersurface-orthogonal vector fields and implies vanishing twist.

A nowhere-zero differential one-form $n$ is hypersurface orthogonal if locally $n=Fdt$ with $F\ne 0$. Its kernel consists of tangent vectors to the level hypersurfaces of $t$. Frobenius theorem makes this equivalent to $n\wedge dn=0$, where $d$ is the exterior derivative. With a torsion-free Levi-Civita connection, this is $n_{[\alpha }{\nabla }_{\beta }{n}_{\gamma ]}=0$. For a timelike unit normal, projecting the derivative on both indices gives zero antisymmetric part, which explains why hypersurface orthogonality implies symmetric extrinsic curvature.

For a non-null Killing vector field $V$ of a Levi-Civita connection, hypersurface orthogonality implies that $\eta =V^{♭}/F$, with $F=g(V,V)$, is a closed differential form. The Killing equation and $V^{♭}\wedge d{V}^{♭}=0$ give $2F{\nabla }_{\mu }{V}_{\nu }=V_{\nu }{\partial }_{\mu }F-V_{\mu }{\partial }_{\nu }F$, whence $d\eta =0$. The Poincaré lemma gives $\eta =d\varphi$ locally. For a timelike $V$, $\varphi$ supplies local static time coordinates. This does not assert global exactness.

For an involutive distribution of constant rank $r$, induct on $r$. Straighten a nonzero section by the flow-box theorem, and choose a frame ${\partial }_1,Y_2,\dots ,Y_r$ with no ${\partial }_1$ component in the remaining fields. Involutivity implies ${\partial }_{1}Y=AY$ for their column $Y$. The invertible solution of ${\partial }_{1}B=-BA$, initialized by $B=I$ on $x_1=0$, makes $Z=BY$ independent of $x_1$. Its restriction to the transverse slice is involutive of rank $r-1$, so induction provides coordinates spanning it. Extending these coordinates independently of $x_1$ gives $D=\mathrm{span}({\partial }_1,\dots ,{\partial }_r)$. Conversely, fields tangent to an integral manifold have tangent brackets because they preserve the ideal of smooth functions vanishing on it.