For a connected finite-dimensional Riemannian manifold, completeness of the Riemannian distance, geodesic completeness, and compactness of every closed bounded subset are equivalent. These conditions imply that any two points are joined by a minimizing geodesic. Pairwise existence of minimizing geodesics alone does not imply completeness: an open Euclidean ball is incomplete, yet the line segment between any two of its points stays in the ball and minimizes length.
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The Hopf-Rinow theorem is a fundamental result in differential geometry and the study of Riemannian manifolds. It connects concepts of completeness, compactness, and geodesics in the context of Riemannian geometry. The theorem states the following: 1. **For a complete Riemannian manifold**: If \( M \) is a complete Riemannian manifold, then it is compact if and only if it is geodesically complete.