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A vector bundle over $S^n$ can be constructed by gluing two trivial bundles over its hemispheres with a transition map $\gamma :S^{n-1}\to GL(k,\mathbb{R})$. Extend this map constantly in an equatorial collar to obtain local vector bundle trivializations. A transition map into the special orthogonal group gives compatible fiber orientations and a fiber metric. Homotopies of transition maps give isomorphic bundles.

A fiber metric on a real smooth vector bundle is a positive-definite inner product on each fiber that varies smoothly in vector bundle trivializations. A smooth partition of unity subordinate to trivializing charts averages their Euclidean inner products. Nonnegative weights preserve positivity and local finiteness ensures smoothness. Hence every real vector bundle over a Hausdorff second-countable smooth manifold admits a fiber metric. Applied to the tangent bundle, this is existence of a Riemannian metric.

A frame over an open set $U$ is a list of smooth sections $e_1,\dots ,e_r$ of a rank-$r$ vector bundle whose values form a basis in every fibre over $U$. It is equivalent to a vector bundle trivialization by $(x,v)\mapsto {\sum }_a{e}_a(x)v^a$. Two local frames differ by a smooth map $g:U\to \mathrm{GL}(r)$, written $e^{\prime }=eg$.

Along a smooth curve $\gamma :I\to M$, a horizontal lift of a linear connection on a vector bundle has fibre equation $v^{\prime }=-\Gamma (\dot{\gamma })v$. On each compact time interval the coefficient matrix is bounded, and the Gronwall inequality prevents finite-time blowup. A finite cover by vector bundle trivializations and ODE uniqueness patch local solutions. Exhausting the open interval gives a unique lift on all of $I$. Its endpoint map is linear, and reversal of the path gives its inverse; no completeness of the base manifold is needed.

A vector bundle trivialization is orthogonal when its coordinate frame is orthonormal for the fiber metric, so each fiber is identified isometrically with Euclidean space. Overlap changes then take values in the orthogonal group. Local orthogonal trivializations exist even when no global frame does.

If a vector bundle $E\to M$ has rank $k$, form the exterior power of a vector bundle fibrewise: its fibre at $p$ is ${\Lambda }^r{E}_p$. A vector bundle trivialization over $U$ induces one with fibre ${\Lambda }^r{\mathbb{R}}^k$. Transition matrices $A_{\alpha \beta }(p)$ induce ${\Lambda }^r{A}_{\alpha \beta }(p)$, which are smooth and obey the cocycle law because exterior powers preserve composition. They glue to a smooth bundle of rank $\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{k}{r}\right)$; for $r>k$ it is the zero bundle. At $r=k$ it is the determinant line bundle.

A real line bundle is trivial precisely when it has a nowhere-zero smooth section: a section $s$ gives the bundle isomorphism $(p,t)\mapsto ts(p)$ from $M\times \mathbb{R}$. Apply this to ${\Lambda }^n{T}^{\ast }M$. Suppose first that an oriented atlas is given. Its local coordinate formsare positive multiples of one another on every overlap. Choose a subordinate smooth partition of unity ${\rho }_{\alpha }\ge 0$. Extend ${\rho }_{\alpha }{\nu }_{\alpha }$ by zero outside its chart and set $\nu ={\sum }_{\alpha }{\rho }_{\alpha }{\nu }_{\alpha }$. Local finiteness makes this smooth. At any point at least one weight is positive, and all summands are nonnegative multiples of the same positive top form. Therefore $\nu$ never vanishes, proving triviality of the line bundle.

Conversely let $\nu$ be a nowhere-zero section of ${\Lambda }^n{T}^{\ast }M$. In each sufficiently small connected chart write $\nu =a_{\alpha }d{x}_{\alpha }^1\wedge \cdots \wedge d{x}_{\alpha }^n$. Its coefficient has constant nonzero sign. If necessary reverse the first coordinate, making $a_{\alpha }>0$. On overlaps the equality of the two expressions givesso each transition determinant is positive. These charts cover $M$, provingFor dimension zero both assertions hold with the empty exterior product equal to one.

For the orientability of a vector bundle total space, write $\pi :E\to M$, with rank $r$ and orientable base. The vertical tangent vectors at $v\in E_p$ identify with $E_p$ by differentiating translation in that fibre. The differential of $\pi$ therefore gives the exact sequence of vector bundles on $E$Taking determinant line bundles givesTo see the determinant identification directly, wedge a vertical frame with any lifts of a base frame; altering a lift by a vertical vector does not change that top wedge. Since $M$ is orientable, $\det TM$ is trivial. Consequently $\det TE\cong {\pi }^{\ast }\det E$. If $\det E$ is trivial, so is its pullback, making the total space orientable. Conversely, if $E$ is orientable as a manifold, its tangent determinant is trivial; restricting this isomorphism to the zero section gives triviality of $\det E$. The tangent and cotangent determinant lines are dual, so either tests orientability. We obtain

For a cotangent bundle the base need not be orientable. If base coordinates change from $x$ to $y=y(x)$ with Jacobian $J$, fibre coordinates of the same covector change from $\xi$ to $\eta =J^{-T}\xi$. The full coordinate change on $T^{\ast }M$ has block JacobianThus every induced cotangent coordinate change preserves orientation, even when the base change reverses it. These charts form an oriented atlas on the total space, proving every cotangent bundle is orientable. Equivalently the canonical symplectic form of the cotangent bundle has a nowhere-zero top exterior power, as in cotangent bundle orientation.

Work with real vector bundles; for complex bundles replace the inner products below by positive-definite Hermitian forms. A smooth rank-$r$ vector bundle is a smooth total space $E$ with a smooth projection $\pi :E\to M$, a real vector space structure on each fiber $E_p$, and an open cover with vector bundle trivializationsEach ${\Phi }_i$ is a diffeomorphism over $U_i$ and is linear on fibers. The overlap maps have the form $(p,v)\mapsto (p,A_{ji}(p)v)$, where $A_{ji}:U_i\cap U_j\to G{L}_r(\mathbb{R})$ is smooth. The rank of a vector bundle may be specified separately on each connected component.

A smooth fiber metric is a positive-definite symmetric bilinear form $h_p$ on each fiber, with smoothly varying coefficients in every local frame. Equivalently it is a smooth section of ${\mathrm{Sym}}^2{E}^{\ast }$ which is positive definite at every point. Each trivialization supplies a local fiber metric $h_i$ by pulling back the Euclidean inner product.

A smooth manifold is Hausdorff and second-countable, hence paracompact. Choose a smooth, locally finite partition of unity $\{{\varphi }_i\}$ subordinate to a trivializing cover, with ${\varphi }_i\ge 0$, $\mathrm{supp}{\varphi }_i\subset U_i$, and ${\sum }_i{\varphi }_i=1$. DefineExtend each weighted term by zero outside its trivializing set; its support lies inside that set, so the extension is smooth. Local finiteness makes the sum smooth. At a point $p$ and for $0\ne v\in E_p$, every nonzero term ${\varphi }_i(p)h_i(v,v)$ is positive and at least one such term occurs. Thus $h_p(v,v)>0$. This proves that every smooth vector bundle admits a smooth fiber metric.

Let $r=\mathrm{rank}F$ and $s=\mathrm{rank}E$. Around any $p$, choose a local frame $f_1,\dots ,f_r$ of the vector subbundle $F$. Choose additional smooth sections $e_{r+1},\dots ,e_s$ of $E$ which complement these vectors at $p$. They can be obtained by constant-coordinate sections in a vector bundle trivialization. The determinant of the resulting frame is nonzero at $p$, hence on a sufficiently small neighborhood. Thusis an adapted local frame of $E$ near $p$.

On the fiberwise quotient, the classes $[e_{r+1}],\dots ,[e_s]$ form a basis. Give the quotient vector bundle its local coordinates byAn overlap between adapted frames has a smooth transition function of a vector bundle represented by an invertible block upper triangular matrix,The zero lower-left block expresses that both sets of first $r$ frame vectors span $F$. Its lower-right block $D$ is smooth and invertible. Passing to quotient coordinates removes the upper block, leaving precisely the transition $D$. These lower-right blocks satisfy the cocycle identity because the original transition matrices do. Consequently they define a compatible smooth bundle atlas of rank $s-r$. This proves $E/F$ is a smooth vector bundle, and its fiberwise quotient map $q:E\to E/F$ is a smooth vector bundle morphism. The construction is independent of the adapted frames: any two choices have the same type of compatible transition. The usual quotient topology agrees with this atlas, since in adapted coordinates $q$ is an open linear projection on each fiber.

Realize the pullback vector bundle asIts fibre over $p$ is canonically $E_{\varphi (p)}$, with the same vector space operations. If a vector bundle trivialization over $U\subset M$ is ${\tau }_U(v)=(\pi (v),\hat{v})$, give the pullback vector bundle the local trivializationDeclare these maps to be local homeomorphisms and use coordinate charts on $M^{\prime }$ to obtain a smooth atlas on the total space. On overlaps the smooth transition maps are $(p,w)\mapsto (p,h(\varphi (p))w)$, hence smooth and fibrewise linear. They satisfy the same cocycle identities as the original transition maps. This gives a well-defined smooth vector bundle, with smooth projection and rank $r$. It also gives the subspace topology inherited from $M^{\prime }\times E$: inside each product ${\varphi }^{-1}(U)\times {\pi }^{-1}(U)$ the defining condition is the graph of $\varphi$ in the base coordinates. Thus the total space is Hausdorff and second countable, as required for a smooth manifold.

For a smooth section of a vector bundle $s$ over $U$, its pulled-back section is more precisely $p\mapsto (p,s(\varphi (p)))$. If $s$ has component column $u:U\to {\mathbb{R}}^r$ in the original vector bundle trivialization, its component column in $T_U$ is $u\circ \varphi$, which is smooth. The pullback is a smooth rank-$r$ vector bundle, and every local section pulls back smoothly.

A smooth rank-$r$ vector bundle over a smooth manifold $M$ consists of a smooth total space $E$, a smooth projection $\pi :E\to M$, and an $r$-dimensional real vector space structure on each fibre $E_p={\pi }^{-1}(p)$. Each point has a neighborhood $U$ with a vector bundle trivializationthat is a diffeomorphism, commutes with projection to $U$, and is a linear isomorphism on every fibre. The overlap maps have the form $(p,v)\mapsto (p,h(p)v)$ with $h:U\cap V\to G{L}_r(\mathbb{R})$ smooth. For a complex vector bundle, replace $\mathbb{R}$ by $\mathbb{C}$ and require complex-linear fibre maps.

A connection on a vector bundle is an $\mathbb{R}$-linear mapwhere $\Gamma (E)$ is the module of smooth sections, ${\Omega }^1(M;E)$ consists of vector-bundle-valued differential forms of degree one, and $f$ is a smooth function. Equivalently, evaluating on a vector field $X$ gives operators ${\nabla }_X$ with ${\nabla }_{fX}s=f{\nabla }_{X}s$ and ${\nabla }_X(fs)=X(f)s+f{\nabla }_{X}s$. A connection on a vector bundle is local: its value at a point depends on the germ of the section of a vector bundle, so the same definition applies to local sections.

Let $D_{+}^n$ and $D_{-}^n$ be the two closed hemispheres of the sphere. Use $\gamma$ as the clutching function between the trivial bundles on these hemispheres. The clutching construction definesThe projection to $S^n$ is locally a vector bundle. In a collar of the equator, extend the transition function by keeping it constant in the normal coordinate; this gives explicit vector bundle trivializations across the seam. Since the transition matrices lie in the special orthogonal group, the standard fiber orientations and Euclidean inner products agree on overlaps. Thus this is an oriented rank-$k$ vector bundle with a fiber metric.

For $k\ge 2$, choose a base point $u_0$ on the equator. A constant change of the negative hemisphere frame replaces $\gamma$ by $\gamma (u_0{)}^{-1}\gamma$, so we may suppose $\gamma (u_0)=I$. With $e_k$ the last standard unit vector, define the section obstruction for a clutched vector bundleThe crucial point is that a nowhere-zero section can be normalized using the fiber metric. It is then represented by continuous maps ${\sigma }_{\pm }:D_{\pm }^n\to S^{k-1}$ satisfyingon the equator.

If $f_{\gamma }=0$, the extension-null-homotopy criterion for a sphere extends $u\mapsto \gamma (u)e_k$ to $D_{-}^n$. Take this extension as ${\sigma }_{-}$ and the constant map $e_k$ as ${\sigma }_{+}$. They glue to a nowhere-zero section.

Conversely, suppose such a section exists. Restricting a contraction of $D_{+}^n$ shows that ${\sigma }_{+}{|}_{S^{n-1}}$ is homotopic to a constant. The target sphere is path connected, so the constant can be moved to $e_k$. Multiplying this homotopy pointwise by $\gamma (u)$ gives a homotopy from $\gamma {\sigma }_{+}$ to $\gamma e_k$. The first of these maps equals ${\sigma }_{-}{|}_{S^{n-1}}$ and extends over $D_{-}^n$, hence is null-homotopic. So $\gamma e_k$ is null-homotopic too. A freely null-homotopic based sphere map represents zero in its homotopy group; any change of base point sends the zero class to zero. We have proved both directions:For $n=1$, the same argument reads as the extension criterion for a two-point boundary and uses the trivial set ${\pi }_0(S^{k-1})$ when $k\ge 2$. For $k=1$, the special orthogonal group $SO(1)$ is trivial, so the vector bundle is already a trivial vector bundle; the corresponding constant map to $S^0$ has zero obstruction. These cases require no higher homotopy group calculation.

If $k>n$, then $n-1<k-1$ and the permitted vanishing of lower homotopy groups of a sphere makes $f_{\gamma }=0$. Normalize the resulting nowhere-zero section to a unit section $\sigma$, and setLocal orthonormal frames show that these orthogonal complements form a rank-$(k-1)$ vector bundle. The explicit vector bundle isomorphismhas inverse $w\mapsto (w-⟨w,\sigma ⟩\sigma ,⟨w,\sigma ⟩)$. Orient $V^{\prime }$ so that a positive frame followed by $\sigma$ is positive in $V_{\gamma }$. This is splitting a trivial line from a nowhere-zero section and proves the oriented splittingFinally consider the special orthogonal sphere fibrationThe fiber over $e_{s+1}$ consists exactly of $\mathrm{diag}(B,1)$ with $B\in SO(s)$. Near any unit vector, the Gram-Schmidt process continuously completes it to an oriented orthonormal frame, giving local sections of $p$ and local product fiber bundle charts. In particular $p$ has the homotopy lifting property.

Let $\alpha :S^r\to SO(s+1)$ be based and suppose $r<s$. The composite $p\alpha$ is a based null-homotopic map by the given vanishing of ${\pi }_r(S^s)$. Lift a based null-homotopy of $p\alpha$, beginning at $\alpha$, to a homotopy $G:S^r\times [0,1]\to SO(s+1)$. The lift might initially move its base point $u_0$, but $G(u_0,t)$ always fixes $e_{s+1}$. Right multiplication by $G(u_0,t{)}^{-1}$ corrects this: the homotopystill covers the same sphere homotopy, remains based, and starts at $\alpha$. At its endpoint every matrix fixes $e_{s+1}$, so $\tilde{G}(-,1)$ lies in the included $SO(s)$. Thus every homotopy class in the target is represented by one from $SO(s)$:This proves surjectivity of special orthogonal stabilization below the sphere dimension. For $r=0$, this is the corresponding assertion about path components; the positive-rank special orthogonal groups are connected. The lifting argument also explains the zero term ${\pi }_r(S^s)$ in the long exact sequence of homotopy groups of a fibration.

A fiber metric on a real vector bundle $E\to M$ is a smoothly varying positive-definite inner product on each fiber. Choose a trivializing open cover $\{U_i\}$ and a smooth partition of unity $\{{\rho }_i\}$ subordinate to it. The partition theorem gives nonnegative functions summing to one, a locally finite family of subsets of supports, and $\mathrm{supp}{\rho }_i\subset U_i$; the usual Hausdorff second-countable smooth manifold hypotheses ensure this theorem applies. Transfer the Euclidean inner product to each local vector bundle trivialization, obtaining $h_i$, and setEach weighted term extends smoothly by zero outside $U_i$, and local finiteness makes the sum smooth in every vector bundle trivialization. At each $x$ some weight is positive, so $h_x(v,v)>0$ for every nonzero $v$. This proves existence of a fiber metric, with no orientability or triviality assumption.

A vector bundle morphism covering the identity is a smooth map $F:E^{\prime }\to E^{\prime \prime }$ that preserves base points and is a linear map on each fiber. Its induced map on the module of smooth sections is $s\mapsto F\circ s$, and is $C^{\infty }(M)$-linear. We prove the converse by constructing bundle morphisms from maps of smooth sections.

First the given map $\alpha$ is local. If a global section $s$ vanishes on a neighborhood of $x$, take a smooth bump function $\chi$ supported there with $\chi =1$ near $x$. Then $\chi s=0$, so $\chi \alpha (s)=\alpha (\chi s)=0$, and hence $\alpha (s)(x)=0$. Thus sections agreeing near $x$ have images agreeing at $x$.

Choose a local frame $e_1,\dots ,e_r$ on $U$, and a bump function equal to one on a smaller neighborhood $V$ of $x$ and supported in $U$. Multiplying the frame by that bump and extending by zero gives global smooth sections $t_j$ whose restrictions to $V$ are the frame. If $s(x)=0$, write $s=\sum a_j{e}_j$ on $V$. A second bump extends each $a_j$ to a global smooth function ${\tilde{a}}_j$ agreeing near $x$. By locality and $C^{\infty }(M)$-linearity,Every fiber vector $v\in E_x^{\prime }$ is the value of a global smooth section, by the same bumped-frame construction. Define $F_x(v)=\alpha (s)(x)$ for any such section. The just-proved vanishing statement makes this well-defined. The maps $F_x$ are linear maps, and locally their matrix columns are the smooth sections $\alpha (t_j)$ in a frame of $E^{\prime \prime }$. Thus $F$ is smooth, is a vector bundle morphism, and satisfies $\alpha (s)=F\circ s$. Fiberwise evaluation also proves uniqueness.

Finally apply the fiber metric construction to the tangent bundle. A Riemannian metric $g$ defines the musical isomorphismPositive definiteness makes it a fiberwise bijection; its inverse is smooth because inverse metric matrices vary smoothly. Hence $TM$ and $T^{\ast }M$ are isomorphic as real smooth vector bundles on every such manifold. The isomorphism depends on the chosen metric and is not canonical.

A tangent vector at $p$ is a derivation at a point: a real-linear map $v:C_p^{\infty }(M)\to \mathbb{R}$ on germs of smooth functions satisfyingAddition and scalar multiplication preserve this identity, defining the tangent space $T_{p}M$ as a vector space. A derivation annihilates constants. In a manifold chart $x=(x^1,\dots ,x^n)$ centered near $p$, the local factorization $f-f(p)={\sum }_i(x^i-x^i(p))f_i$, with $f_i(p)={\partial }_{i}f(p)$, gives $v(f)={\sum }_{i}v(x^i){\partial }_{i}f(p)$. The factorization follows by integrating the first derivatives along a straight segment in a sufficiently small coordinate ball. ThereforeConversely these coordinate derivatives satisfy the derivation identity, so they really give a basis rather than merely a spanning family.

The cotangent space is the dual vector space $T_p^{\ast }M=(T_{p}M{)}^{\ast }$. Its basis $d{x}^i{|}_p$ is characterized by $d{x}^i({\partial }_j)={\delta }_j^i$. If $\alpha =a_{i}d{x}^i=b_{j}d{y}^j$, the chain rule gives the cotangent coordinate transitionThe cotangent bundle is the disjoint union $T^{\ast }M={\coprod }_{p\in M}{T}_p^{\ast }M$, with projection $\pi (p,\alpha )=p$. For each base manifold chart $(U,x)$, defineIts inverse sends $(z,a)$ to $(x^{-1}(z),a_{i}d{x}^i{|}_{x^{-1}(z)})$. On overlaps the transition is $(x,a)\mapsto (y(x),b)$, with the displayed fibre-linear transformation. Its coefficients and inverse are smooth, so these maps give a smooth atlas in dimension $2n$. Give the total space the topology obtained by transporting the product topology through these charts. Different base points are separated by disjoint base neighborhoods; distinct points over the same base point are separated within one bundle chart. A countable base smooth atlas and countable product bases give second countability. Thus the total space is a Hausdorff, second-countable smooth manifold. The same charts are vector bundle trivializations, since $\pi$ is product projection and their fibre changes are invertible linear maps.

The intrinsic canonical one-form on a cotangent bundle isIn the bundle chart it is $\lambda ={\sum }_i{a}_{i}d{x}^i$. This definition is coordinate independent, hence its exterior derivative is the globally defined smooth differential two-formThis sign follows the fibre-first order in this problem; the equally common position-first symplectic form is $-d\lambda$. The volume formnever vanishes. A smooth manifold is orientable exactly when it admits a nowhere-zero top-degree form; its positive ordered bases determine a consistent orientation. Consequently $T^{\ast }M$ is an orientable smooth manifold, even when $M$ is not. This is cotangent bundle orientation. In dimension zero the same conclusion uses the nowhere-zero zero-form $1$.

A smooth real vector bundle of vector bundle rank $r$ consists of a smooth manifold $E$, a smooth projection $\pi :E\to M$, real vector space structures on its fibers, and local vector bundle trivializationsthat commute with projection to $U$ and are linear isomorphisms on each fiber. On overlaps the change of trivialization is $(p,v)\mapsto (p,g_{VU}(p)v)$, with $g_{VU}:U\cap V\to G{L}_r(\mathbb{R})$ smooth into the general linear group. The usual smooth manifold convention is Hausdorff and second countable.

For an $n$-dimensional $M$, take the disjoint union of its tangent spaces. A manifold chart $x:U\to {\mathbb{R}}^n$ suppliesIf $y$ is another chart, the resulting change of coordinates on the total space isThis is smooth, its inverse is the same construction with $x,y$ exchanged, and the fiber map is invertible and linear. Thus these charts define a smooth structure with the required bundle trivializations.

For completeness, the topology so constructed is Hausdorff: different base points can be separated downstairs, while vectors over one point can be separated inside one product chart. A countable base atlas for $M$ and countable bases for its products with ${\mathbb{R}}^n$ give second countability. Hence the total space is genuinely a smooth manifold, not just a collection of fibers. We obtain

The fibers must retain their base labels. In particular, a literal untagged union of fibers in $E$ is not sufficient when $f$ is not injective. Use the pullback vector bundleThis makes precise the indexed-union notation in the PDF. For a vector bundle trivialization ${\Phi }_U(e)=(\pi (e),v)$, defineIt is a fiberwise linear isomorphism, with inverse $(p,v)\mapsto (p,{\Phi }_U^{-1}(f(p),v))$. The transition functions are $g_{VU}\circ f$, hence smooth. They satisfy the same cocycle identities as those of $E$ and give a smooth total space of manifold dimension $\dim N+r$.

One may also see that this is an embedded submanifold of $N\times E$: in a bundle chart the constraint is the graph of the smooth map $f$ in the base coordinates, leaving the $r$ fiber coordinates free. Thus the chart construction agrees with its natural subspace smooth structure. No immersion or surjectivity hypothesis on $f$ is required. Therefore

A vector bundle morphism over $M$ is a smooth map $F:E\to E^{\prime }$ with ${\pi }^{\prime }\circ F=\pi$ whose restriction $E_p\to E_p^{\prime }$ is linear for every $p$. A vector bundle isomorphism is such a map with a smooth bundle-morphism inverse. Equivalently, a fiberwise bijective smooth bundle morphism is an isomorphism: in local vector bundle trivializations it is multiplication by an invertible smooth matrix, and its inverse matrix is smooth.

For a diffeomorphism $f:N\to M$, defineThe derivative $d{f}_p$ is a linear isomorphism by the chain rule, since $d(f^{-1}{)}_{f(p)}\circ d{f}_p=\mathrm{id}$. In manifold charts, $F$ is represented by the smooth Jacobian matrix of $f$, so it is a smooth bundle morphism. Its inverse iswhich is also smooth and fiberwise linear. ConsequentlyThis identifies the bundles over the same base $N$; the tangent map by itself is a map from $TN$ to $TM$ covering $f$.

Use the PDF's covector-first convention: its space ${\mathcal{T}}_l^k$ consists of tensor fields inThis reverses the order in which some texts list tensor type. For a finite-dimensional real vector space $V$, define the tensor contraction first on decomposable tensors:The hats mean omission, with the other factors left in their original order. The formula is a multilinear map of its individual factors, so the universal property of a tensor product gives a unique linear map with this formula.

Apply it with $V=T_{p}M$ at every $p$. Evaluation of a covector on a vector is basis independent: under a change of frame, one factor transforms by a matrix and the other by its inverse transpose, and the matrices cancel in the pairing. Thus the fiber maps agree on overlapping vector bundle trivializations. In a local dual basis, the coefficients of the contracted tensor are finite sums of coefficients with the selected covariant and contravariant indices set equal. They remain smooth. Henceis a globally defined smooth contraction for $k,l\ge 1$. It is also linear over $C^{\infty }(M)$.

The rank of a vector bundle at a point is the dimension of its fiber as a vector space. A vector bundle trivialization identifies nearby fibers with the same vector space, so this rank is locally constant. A rank-$r$ bundle has fibers of dimension $r$ everywhere.

A vector bundle morphism is an isomorphism if it admits an inverse of the same kind. A smooth fiberwise bijective bundle morphism automatically has a smooth inverse, because inverse matrices in vector bundle trivializations depend smoothly on their entries wherever their determinants are nonzero.

A morphism of vector bundles over one base is a smooth map between their total spaces that commutes with projection to the base and is linear on each fiber. In local vector bundle trivializations it is multiplication by a smoothly varying matrix.