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For smooth spatial fields $E^i,C^i{}_j$, define a torsion-free connection on $\mathbb{R}\times {\mathbb{R}}^n$ by ${\Gamma }^i{}_{00}=-E^i$, ${\Gamma }^i{}_{0j}={\Gamma }^i{}_{j0}=-C^i{}_j/2$ and all other coefficients zero. The time geodesic equation is $\ddot{t}=0$. For $\dot{t}\ne 0$, use $t$ as affine parameter; the spatial geodesic equation becomes $d^2{x}^i/d{t}^2=E^i+C^i{}_{j}d{x}^j/dt$. In dimension three, $C^i{}_j=2{ϵ}^i{}_{kj}{B}^k$ realizes $\ddot{\mathbf{x}}=\mathbf{E}+2\mathbf{B}\times \dot{\mathbf{x}}$. Such a connection need not preserve a metric; a spacetime description of these trajectories only needs affine geometry.

A smooth nondegenerate component of the fixed-point set of an isometry is a totally geodesic submanifold. If a geodesic starts tangent to the fixed component, its image under the isometry has identical position and tangent. Uniqueness of the geodesic equation makes the two geodesics coincide throughout their common domain, so the original geodesic stays in the fixed set.

In geodesic normal coordinates at $p$, radial geodesics have coordinates $x(t)=tv$. The geodesic equation at $t=0$ gives ${\Gamma }_{jk}^i(p)v^j{v}^k=0$ for every $v$. The Levi-Civita connection is torsion free, making these coefficients symmetric in $j,k$; the polarization identity then gives ${\Gamma }_{jk}^i(p)=0$. This does not imply vanishing curvature, which depends on derivatives of the coefficients.

For the Riemannian exponential map ${\exp }_p(v)={\gamma }_v(1)$, uniqueness of the geodesic equation gives ${\exp }_p(tv)={\gamma }_v(t)$. Differentiation at $t=0$ yields $(d{\exp }_p{)}_{0}v=v$. Smooth ODE dependence and the inverse function theorem therefore make ${\exp }_p$ a diffeomorphism on a neighborhood of zero, producing geodesic normal coordinates. This is a local assertion and requires no geodesic completeness.

A mechanical Lagrangian quadratic in velocities can be represented by geodesics of a Lorentzian metric with an extra null coordinate. For $L=\frac{1}{2}|\dot{\mathbf{x}}{|}^2-2\mathbf{A}\cdot \dot{\mathbf{x}}-U$, use $g=d{\mathbf{x}}^2+2dt(du-2\mathbf{A}\cdot d\mathbf{x}-Udt)$. The null Killing vector field ${\partial }_u$ gives the conserved momentum $p_u=t\prime$. Fixing $p_u=1$ projects the geodesic equation to the mechanical Euler-Lagrange equations. This is useful for relating mechanical forces to spacetime geometry.

For $g_{\mu \nu }={\phi }^2{\eta }_{\mu \nu }$,For a null curve, the last term drops from the geodesic equation; the remaining acceleration is parallel to the tangent and can be removed by reparametrization.

The geodesic flow sends a tangent vector $v$ to the velocity at time $t$ of the unique geodesic with initial velocity $v$. Smooth dependence of solutions of the geodesic equation makes it a smooth flow on the tangent bundle wherever defined.

For the arc-length meridian metric $d{s}^2+f(s{)}^{2}d{\theta }^2$, a unit-speed parallel has $\dot{s}=0$ and $\dot{\theta }=\pm 1/f(s_0)$. Its radial geodesic equation is satisfied exactly when $f\prime (s_0)=0$. Thus extrema of the radius, and any other stationary radii, give geodesic circles. If every parallel is geodesic, the surface is a circular cylinder.

For smooth stationary fields on ${\mathbb{R}}^3$, set ${\Gamma }^i{}_{tt}=-E^i$ and ${\Gamma }^i{}_{tj}={\Gamma }^i{}_{jt}={ϵ}^i{}_{jk}{B}^k$, with all other Christoffel symbols zero. This torsion-free connection makes the equation $\ddot{\mathbf{x}}=\mathbf{E}+2\mathbf{B}\times \dot{\mathbf{x}}$ a geodesic equation with time as affine parameter. Arbitrary smooth fields suffice; a metric realization imposes additional potential conditions.

A geodesic $\gamma :I\to M$ is maximal when it has no geodesic extension to a strictly larger interval. Every initial position and velocity determine a unique maximal geodesic through the geodesic equation.

The null condition for a nonzero vector $k$ in a Lorentzian metric is $g(k,k)=0$. Applied to the tangent of a curve it makes the curve a null curve. Nullity alone does not imply the geodesic equation; an additional zero or tangent-parallel covariant acceleration is required.