Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2012 / iii / Paper 56 / 1 / c

Work on a connected regular radial interval, where $f$ is smooth and nonzero; replacing $f$ by $|f|$ allows us to take $f>0$. The only nonzero Christoffel symbols areAlong the circle, write a tangent vector in the single-valued orthonormal basis $E_r={\partial }_r$, $E_{\varphi }=f^{-1}{\partial }_{\varphi }$ as $V=u{E}_r+v{E}_{\varphi }$. The equations for parallel transport reduce toConsequently $u+iv$ acquires the factor $e^{-2\pi i{f}^{\prime }(r_0)}$ after one circuit. The basis itself agrees at $\varphi =0$ and $2\pi$, so no extra basis change is missing. The holonomy is the identity on every tangent vector precisely whenThe first condition makes this a regular circle of the Riemannian metric; the second is the actual transport condition. In particular, zero slope is sufficient but not necessary. This is holonomy around circular fibres.

If every regular circle has trivial holonomy, the preceding calculation says that the continuous function $f^{\prime }$ takes values in $\mathbb{Z}$. On a connected radial interval it must therefore be constant. Integrating gives the complete familyConversely, every such function has identity holonomy around every circle. With the opposite sign convention for $f$, replace the positivity condition by nonvanishing; the Riemannian metric is unchanged by changing its sign.

The slope parameter is discrete. Thus the printed parameter count can mean one integer and one real parameter, but it cannot mean two freely varying real parameters. Allowing $f=ar+b$ with arbitrary real $a$ gives a locally flat family, not trivial circular holonomy: for example $a=1/2$ gives a rotation by $\pi$. This distinction is captured by flat circular metrics with trivial holonomy.

For $n\ne 0$, put $\rho =f(r)/|n|$ and $\theta =|n|\varphi$. Then $d{\rho }^2=d{r}^2$ andThese give a local isometry wherever $\rho >0$. For $n=0$, $f=b>0$, and the local coordinates $X=r$, $Y=b\varphi$ similarly give the Euclidean plane metric tensor. Equivalently, the Gaussian curvature of the original Riemannian metric is $-f^{\prime \prime }/f=0$ throughout this family.

A local isometry need not be a global isometry. If $|n|=1$, the displayed polar map is injective modulo $\varphi \sim \varphi +2\pi$ and identifies the regular domain with a Euclidean annulus, possibly a punctured disc or the punctured Euclidean plane, according to the radial interval. If $|n|>1$, it is a $|n|$-fold covering of that annulus: distinct angles differing by $2\pi /|n|$ have the same image. This developing map cannot be made injective by a different choice of Euclidean coordinates, since two local Euclidean isometries on a connected flat domain differ by a rigid motion once their value and differential are fixed at one point. For $n=0$, the domain is a flat cylinder; its circular curves are closed geodesics, whereas the Euclidean plane has no nonconstant closed geodesic.

All these metrics are locally Euclidean; they are not all globally Euclidean. Even the regular $|n|=1$ domain is an annular region rather than the entire Euclidean plane. A regular axis can be added without a conical singularity only when $|n|=1$; with the full radial range this completion becomes the Euclidean plane. Trivial holonomy alone therefore does not supply a global injective Euclidean chart.