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A Killing-Yano tensor is a differential form satisfying the displayed equation for the Levi-Civita connection. Its covariant derivative is totally antisymmetric. Contraction with the velocity of an affinely parametrized geodesic gives a form that is carried by parallel transport along that geodesic. This differs from a Killing tensor, which is symmetric.

For a Killing-Yano two-form, ${\nabla }_a{Y}_{bc}$ is a differential three-form. Along a geodesic with velocity $v$, the covector $w_c=Y_{bc}{v}^b$ is carried by parallel transport, since $v^a{v}^b{\nabla }_a{Y}_{bc}=0$.

The unmarked length spectrum of a compact hyperbolic surface is the multiset of lengths of its closed geodesics, with a consistent convention for primitive curves and orientation. The marked version labels lengths by free homotopy classes. The Selberg trace formula relates the unmarked multiset to the Laplace-Beltrami operator spectrum.

A local isometry between Riemannian manifolds is a local diffeomorphism $f$ with $f^{\ast }{g}_N=g_M$. Equivalently, its differentials are isometric linear isomorphisms between tangent spaces. It preserves the Levi-Civita connection, intrinsic sectional curvature, and affinely parametrized geodesics. A map whose differentials are merely isometric injections is an isometric immersion; the local diffeomorphism requirement distinguishes these notions.

A unit-speed metric geodesic in a metric space is an isometric embedding $\gamma :I\to X$ of a real interval. Every restricted segment realizes the distance between its endpoints. A one-point interval permits a constant segment. In a unit-edge graph, shortest edge paths parametrized by metric path length are metric geodesics; no smooth structure is required. This is stronger than the differential definition of a geodesic in a Riemannian manifold, which need only minimize locally: on a unit circle, an arc of angle $3\pi /2$ is a Riemannian geodesic but its endpoint distance is only $\pi /2$.

Substitute a static soliton family with slowly time-dependent collective coordinates into the action. The kinetic energy induces a Riemannian metric $g$ on the family, after imposing any Gauss law constraint in gauge theory constraint and projecting out gauge directions. If its static energy is constant, the Euler-Lagrange equations are the geodesic equations of $g$. An approximately flat family instead carries a potential $V(q)$. This approximation neglects excitations of the other field modes and is justified only when their effects are small on the time and energy scales studied.

The Morse index of a fixed-endpoint geodesic equals the number of conjugate points strictly between its endpoints, counted with multiplicity. Its nullity equals the multiplicity of the terminal conjugate point. A conjugate multiplicity is the dimension of the space of Jacobi fields vanishing at the initial point and at the point in question.

For a Jacobi field along a geodesic with nonpositive sectional curvature, the curvature convention with positive round-sphere curvature givesThus $|J{|}^2$ is nonnegative and convex. If it vanishes at both ends of a segment, convexity forces it to vanish everywhere. No nonzero Jacobi field can vanish at both ends, so the segment has no conjugate points. Only curvature of planes containing the geodesic tangent is needed, and completeness is unnecessary.

A null geodesic is both a null curve and a geodesic. In geometric optics, light rays follow null geodesics.

For an Eisenhart-Duval lift, reduction along the null isometry fixes a nonzero conserved $p_u=t\prime$ and projects geodesics to $(t,\mathbf{x})$. One never divides by $g_{uu}=0$. When $\mathbf{E}=-\nabla U$ and $\nabla \times \mathbf{A}=\mathbf{B}$, the reduced equation is $\ddot{\mathbf{x}}=\mathbf{E}+2\mathbf{B}\times \dot{\mathbf{x}}$. Every trajectory admits a null lift by choosing $\dot{u}=U+2\mathbf{A}\cdot \dot{\mathbf{x}}-\frac{1}{2}|\dot{\mathbf{x}}{|}^2$.

A collection of disjoint essential simple closed curves that cuts a closed genus-$g$ surface into $2g-2$ surfaces of type pair of pants. There are $3g-3$ curves. Geodesic representatives are used for Fenchel–Nielsen coordinates.

Two affine connections have exactly the same geodesics with the same parameters if and only if their difference tensor vanishes on every diagonal pair $(v,v)$. Indeed, their covariant accelerations differ by $\Delta (\dot{\gamma },\dot{\gamma })$; starting a geodesic at each arbitrary initial vector proves necessity. Polarization then says that the symmetric part of the difference is zero. This condition is stronger than agreement of unparametrized geodesic equations.