Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2009 / iii / Paper 17 / 4 / a / Solution

In Cartesian coordinates on Euclidean space, defineThis is an affine connection by the ordinary product rule. Its connection coefficients in this coordinate frame are all zero. The component formula for the Lie bracket of vector fields gives ${\nabla }_{X}Y-{\nabla }_{Y}X=[X,Y]$, so it is torsion-free. Also, since the Euclidean metric has constant coefficients,This is exactly metric compatibility. By uniqueness it is the Euclidean Levi-Civita connection. In particular constant vector fields are parallel, while the derivative of a general field is given by the boxed formula.