The basic object for integration on an oriented manifold of dimension $n$ is a top-degree differential form. In an orientation-preserving chart, write $\alpha =f(x)d{x}^1\wedge \cdots \wedge d{x}^n$. Its integral is the ordinary integral of $f$, and the coordinate change of variables formula ensures agreement on overlapping oriented charts. A partition of unity combines these local integrals into a global one, provided the form has compact support or satisfies appropriate convergence conditions. Reversing orientation reverses the integral. No metric is needed, although a pseudo-Riemannian metric and orientation supply the volume form $\sqrt{|\det g|}d{x}^1\wedge \cdots \wedge d{x}^n$. On a nonorientable manifold one instead integrates densities, or appropriately twisted top forms.

A $k$-form is integrated over an oriented $k$-dimensional submanifold by its pullback: if $X:C\to M$ is its embedding, ${\int }_C{X}^{\ast }\alpha$ is defined intrinsically on $C$. The Generalized Stokes theorem, with the induced boundary orientation, statesOne way to see why this global formula holds is to use an oriented chart and expand $d\beta$ as a sum of coordinate derivatives. The ordinary fundamental theorem of calculus gives the boundary contributions with their orientation signs. A partition of unity reduces the manifold to such charts; the artificial internal boundary contributions cancel, leaving only the actual boundary. Compactness or compact support controls the sums and the boundary at infinity.

This immediately explains how closed differential forms yield conservation laws. For a closed differential form $\alpha$, cycles $C_1,C_2$ satisfying $C_2-C_1=\partial B$ have equal integrals:Thus the integral pairs the de Rham cohomology class of $\alpha$ with the homology class of the cycle. An exact differential form integrates to zero on every closed cycle. A closed form need not be exact, and nonzero periods measure the global obstruction. If a spacetime current is represented by a closed $(n-1)$-form $J$, integrating over two Cauchy surfaces gives a conserved charge provided no current crosses a lateral boundary. A nonzero boundary flux must be retained in the Stokes calculation rather than silently discarded.

For a genuinely topological current, closure can follow identically from the field geometry, without the equations of motion. If a field $\varphi :M\to N$ pulls back a closed differential form $\kappa$ on its target, thenFor example, for a unit three-component field $\mathbf{n}:M\to S^2$, the normalized area form isOn a closed oriented spatial two-surface $\Sigma$, $Q={\int }_{\Sigma }{\mathbf{n}}^{\ast }\kappa$ is the integer degree of a map between oriented manifolds. Smooth evolution is a homotopy and conserves this topological charge. Singularities or flux through a spatial boundary can permit the charge to change. This is the pullback-volume representation of a topological current.

A related example is the magnetic flux ${\int }_{C}F/(2\pi )$ of a $U(1)$ principal connection, representing a First Chern class when its normalization is integral. Nonzero flux on a closed cycle requires nontrivial global bundle data or singular sources: if a single smooth global potential exists with $F=dA$, the flux on every closed cycle vanishes. This distinction is important when local differential equations are used to infer global conservation or quantization.

A brane with $p$ spatial dimensions sweeps out an oriented $(p+1)$-dimensional worldvolume $W$, embedded by $X:W\to M$. Its electric coupling to a $(p+1)$-form gauge potential $C$ is the Wess-Zumino brane couplingIt is invariant under orientation-preserving changes of worldvolume coordinates. Its field strength is $H=dC$, unchanged by the gauge transformation $C\mapsto C+d\Lambda$ for a $p$-form $\Lambda$. Since the pullback of a differential form commutes with the exterior derivative, its gauge variation isTherefore a closed brane has a gauge-invariant coupling under these transformations. For a noncompact worldvolume, support or decay conditions must also eliminate contributions at infinity.

For an open brane, the variation does not vanish automatically. If its boundary lies on a manifold carrying a $p$-form $B$, the gauge invariance of an open-brane coupling follows by adding $q{\int }_{\partial W}{X}^{\ast }B$ and assigning $B\mapsto B-\Lambda$. The two boundary variations cancel exactly with the induced orientation. Alternatively one may restrict the gauge parameter to have vanishing pullback at the boundary, if that is the chosen physical boundary condition. A particle has $p=0$ and couples by $q\int A$; a string has $p=1$ and couples to a two-form; a membrane has $p=2$ and couples to a three-form.

Finally, a gauge potential need not be globally a single differential form. Patchwise potentials and their overlap data define its global holonomy. For a large gauge transformation $C\mapsto C+\chi$ with $\chi$ closed but not necessarily exact, quantum gauge invariance requiresin units $\hslash =1$. This connects the coupling to integral periods and charge quantization. The local Stokes argument and these global period conditions are complementary: closure controls continuous conservation, while global topology controls which charges and gauge transformations are allowed.

Let ${\eta }_{ab}=g(e_a,e_b)$ be the constant diagonal metric matrix in a local pseudo-orthonormal frame, and define ${\theta }_{ab}={\eta }_{ac}{\theta }^c{}_b$. The metric compatibility of the Levi-Civita connection givesThus the lowered connection matrix is antisymmetric, including in indefinite signature. Ordinary matrix antisymmetry of ${\theta }^a{}_b$ itself is not the corresponding assertion in indefinite signature.

Let ${\omega }^a$ be the dual coframe, and write a vector field as $Y=e_b{\omega }^b(Y)$. ThenSubtract the same expression with $X,Y$ exchanged and subtract ${\omega }^a([X,Y])$. By the definition of the exterior derivative, this gives the components of the torsion tensor:The Levi-Civita connection is torsion-free, so Cartan's first structure equation is

Use $R(X,Y)={\nabla }_X{\nabla }_Y-{\nabla }_Y{\nabla }_X-{\nabla }_{[X,Y]}$ and define its matrix of curvature two-forms by $R(X,Y)e_b=e_a{R}^a{}_b(X,Y)$. Applying two covariant derivatives to $e_b$ yieldsThe first three terms are $d{\theta }^a{}_b(X,Y)$ and the last two are $({\theta }^a{}_c\wedge {\theta }^c{}_b)(X,Y)$. Therefore Cartan's second structure equation isThe associated Riemann curvature tensor components satisfy $R^a{}_b=\frac{1}{2}{R}^a{}_{bcd}{\omega }^c\wedge {\omega }^d$ with this convention.

For a position-dependent change of pseudo-orthonormal frame, write the frame row as $E^{\prime }=E\Lambda$, with ${\Lambda }^T\eta \Lambda =\eta$. The dual coframe obeys ${\omega }^{\prime }={\Lambda }^{-1}\omega$. Applying the Leibniz rule to $\nabla (E\Lambda )$ givesThe connection one-form has an inhomogeneous term because differentiating the moving basis produces $d\Lambda$. The curvature two-form instead transforms homogeneously. Indeed, curvature is tensorial in the vector to which it is applied, so $R(X,Y)(E\Lambda )=(R(X,Y)E)\Lambda =E^{\prime }{\Lambda }^{-1}R(X,Y)\Lambda$. ConsequentlyEquivalently, substituting the transformed connection into $d{\theta }^{\prime }+{\theta }^{\prime }\wedge {\theta }^{\prime }$ and using $d{\Lambda }^{-1}=-{\Lambda }^{-1}(d\Lambda ){\Lambda }^{-1}$ cancels all derivative terms and gives the same result. This transformation law holds for a general invertible frame change as well; the orthogonality condition ensures both frames remain pseudo-orthonormal.

One definition of a principal bundle $P\to M$ uses local trivializations ${\varphi }_i:{\pi }^{-1}(U_i)\to U_i\times G$ whose overlap maps arewith smooth $G$-valued transition functions of a principal bundle satisfying the cocycle condition. This definition displays the global right group action rather than assuming it: if ${\varphi }_i(p)=(x,g_i)$, define ${\varphi }_i(p\cdot h)=(x,g_{i}h)$. On an overlap,so the local definitions agree. The resulting action is smooth, free and transitive on each fibre, and respects the projection.

If $s:M\to P$ is a global section of a fiber bundle, set $F(x,h)=s(x)\cdot h$. The free and transitive fibre action makes $F:M\times G\to P$ bijective. In a local trivialization, write $s(x)=(x,a_i(x))$; then $F(x,h)=(x,a_i(x)h)$ and its inverse is $(x,g)\mapsto (x,a_i(x{)}^{-1}g)$. Both are smooth and respect the action and projection. Conversely a principal bundle isomorphism $M\times G\to P$ sends $x\mapsto (x,e)$ to a global section. Hence

For a pseudo-Riemannian manifold of metric signature $(p,q)$, its orthonormal frame bundle has fibre at $x$ consisting of linear isometries $u:{\mathbb{R}}^{p,q}\to T_{x}M$. Its structure group is $O(p,q)$ and its right action is $u\cdot h=u\circ h$. Two such frames differ by a unique element of $O(p,q)$, proving the required free and transitive fibre action. A global section is exactly a global pseudo-orthonormal frame. Orientation and time orientation, when specified, restrict the structure group and the allowed frames.

Realize unit-radius four-dimensional de Sitter spacetime asIts tangent space is $X^{\perp }$, with Lorentzian metric signature $(3,1)$. If $e_0,e_1,e_2,e_3$ is a pseudo-orthonormal frame at $X$, append $X$ as the final column. The resulting five-by-five matrix preserves $\eta$, and conversely every such matrix supplies a point $X$ and a frame at that point. Thus the full frame bundle is $O(4,1)$, with projection $g\mapsto g{e}_4$ and fibre group $O(3,1)$.

The printed $SO(4,1)$ statement requires the orientation restriction. Choose the tangent orientation by requiring the appended matrix to have determinant one. Thenis precisely the oriented frame bundle of de Sitter spacetime, with right structure group $SO(3,1)$ embedded as $\mathrm{diag}(h,1)$. If future time orientation is also required, use $S{O}_0(4,1)$ and $S{O}_0(3,1)$. Calling $SO(4,1)$ the full bundle without specifying orientation would exclude valid frames of the opposite orientation.

Finally write the global coordinatesDirect differentiation gives the de Sitter spacetime metric $-d{\tau }^2+{\cosh }^2\tau g_{S^3}$. The assumed global frame of a vector bundle on $S^3$ can be orthonormalized smoothly by Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization for the round positive metric. More explicitly, view $S^3$ as the unit quaternions: $Y_1(q)=qi$, $Y_2(q)=qj$, $Y_3(q)=qk$ form a smooth global orthonormal tangent basis. SetThese have inner products $g(E_0,E_0)=-1$, $g(E_i,E_j)={\delta }_{ij}$ and $g(E_0,E_i)=0$. They are smooth everywhere because $\cosh \tau$ never vanishes. Choose the spatial orientation consistently, reversing one $Y_i$ if necessary, and choose $E_0$ future-directed. This global frame on four-dimensional de Sitter spacetime yields a global section of the full frame bundle and also of either restricted bundle. Yes: the de Sitter frame bundle admits a global section and is trivial.

Use ambient quadratic form $Q=-(X^0{)}^2-(X^4{)}^2+(X^1{)}^2+(X^2{)}^2$. The printed sine coordinate has a duplicated superscript: it must be $X^2$, not another $X^1$. With that correction the embedding lies on $Q=-1$. Put $s=\sqrt{1+r^2}$. Differentiating the two timelike coordinates giveswhereas the two spatial coordinates give $(d{X}^1{)}^2+(d{X}^2{)}^2=d{r}^2+r^{2}d{\theta }^2$. Their difference is the induced Lorentzian metricThe polar coordinate $\theta$ collapses at $r=0$; this is a coordinate degeneracy, not a degeneracy of the metric.

For the matrix model of anti-de Sitter three-space, defineThen $\det M=-Q$. This linear identification of ambient space with real two-by-two matrices identifies $Q=-1$ with $SL(2,\mathbb{R})$. Its inverse recovers each $X$ by sums and differences of matrix entries, so the identification is global. The identity corresponds to $X^4=1$ and the other coordinates zero. For a traceless tangent matrix $U$, the induced squared norm isPolarization gives $g_I(U,V)=\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{tr}(UV)$.

The Killing form of ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2(\mathbb{R})$ is $B(U,V)=4\mathrm{tr}(UV)$. This normalization can be checked without assuming it: for $H=\mathrm{diag}(1,-1)$, $E=\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& 1\\ 0& 0\end{array}\right)$ and $F=\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& 0\\ 1& 0\end{array}\right)$, the brackets are $[H,E]=2E$, $[H,F]=-2F$, $[E,F]=H$. Taking traces of their three-dimensional adjoint matrices gives $B(H,H)=8$, $B(E,F)=B(F,E)=4$, and all other basis pairings zero. These agree with $4\mathrm{tr}(UV)$.

Both left and right multiplication by matrices in $SL(2,\mathbb{R})$ preserve $-\det M$, hence its polarized ambient bilinear form and the induced metric. Equality at the identity therefore propagates throughout the group:In particular the Killing-form Einstein metric calculation gives $\mathrm{Ric}=-2g$, consistent with unit-radius three-dimensional Anti-de Sitter spacetime.

Every element of $SO(2,2)$ preserves the ambient quadratic form, hence the hyperboloid and its induced metric, and so acts by isometries. Define the left-right double cover of SO0(2,2) byThis is a group homomorphism, since successive actions multiply the two factors in the same order. It preserves $\det M$; as a transformation of the four-dimensional matrix space it has determinant $(\det A{)}^2(\det B^{-1}{)}^2=1$. Thus it takes values in $SO(2,2)$.

If its action is the identity, applying it to $M=I$ gives $A=B$. Commuting with every matrix then forces $A$ to be scalar. The condition $\det A=1$ leaves only $A=I$ or $A=-I$. HenceThe differential is $(a,b):M\mapsto aM-Mb$. A zero differential implies $a=b$ and that $a$ is scalar; tracelessness makes $a=b=0$. It is therefore an isomorphism onto the target Lie algebra, since both dimensions are six. The image is an open subgroup. Since $SL(2,\mathbb{R})$ is connected, the image is connected and is exactly the identity component $S{O}_0(2,2)$: an open subgroup of a connected group is also closed and must be the whole group. Thus the precise covering statement isIt is not onto the disconnected full $SO(2,2)$. For example, conjugation $M\mapsto DM{D}^{-1}$, $D=\mathrm{diag}(1,-1)$, sends $(X^0,X^4,X^1,X^2)$ to $(-X^0,X^4,X^1,-X^2)$ and belongs to the other component of $SO(2,2)$. It reverses the orientation of the negative two-plane and is not in the image of the connected source.

The Adjoint representation of a Lie group of $SL(2,\mathbb{R})$ preserves its Killing form of metric signature $(2,1)$ and gives a second double cover,Its kernel is the scalar centre; its differential is injective and both dimensions are three, so the same connected-image argument proves surjectivity onto the identity component. The full $SO(2,1)$ again has an additional component. Thus $S{O}_0(2,1)$ is locally the same Lie group geometry as $SL(2,\mathbb{R})$, with its Killing metric, and globally is its central quotient.

With the printed periodic time, the group model has topology $S^1\times {\mathbb{R}}^2$ and closed timelike curves, since varying $t$ at fixed spatial position gives a timelike circle. The causally unwrapped version of Anti-de Sitter spacetime instead has $t\in \mathbb{R}$ and is the universal covering Lie group. It must not be substituted silently for the periodic spacetime specified here.

A Poisson manifold is a smooth manifold with an antisymmetric contravariant tensor field $\pi =\frac{1}{2}{\pi }^{ij}{\partial }_i\wedge {\partial }_j$ such that the bracketsatisfies the Jacobi identity. Bilinearity, antisymmetry and the Leibniz rule follow directly from this formula. The Poisson bivector is allowed to be degenerate.

Apply the Jacobi identity to coordinate functions $x^i,x^j,x^k$. Necessity gives the coordinate Jacobi condition for a Poisson bivector:For sufficiency, expand $\{f,\{g,h\}\}+\{g,\{h,f\}\}+\{h,\{f,g\}\}$. The terms differentiating $\pi$ are $J^{ijk}{f}_i{g}_j{h}_k$. All terms containing second derivatives cancel. For example, those containing $g_{j\ell }$ have coefficient $({\pi }^{i\ell }{\pi }^{jk}+{\pi }^{k\ell }{\pi }^{ij})f_i{h}_k$, which is antisymmetric under $j\leftrightarrow \ell$ after contraction with $f_i{h}_k$, whereas $g_{j\ell }$ is symmetric. The same argument handles the second derivatives of $f$ and $h$. Thus the displayed condition is both necessary and sufficient.

A symplectic manifold has a smooth nondegenerate closed differential form $\Omega$ of degree two. Write $\Omega =\frac{1}{2}{\Omega }_{ij}d{x}^i\wedge d{x}^j$ and choose the explicit inverse convention ${\pi }^{ik}{\Omega }_{kj}={\delta }_j^i$. This defines a smooth antisymmetric bivector. Differentiating the inverse matrix givesSubstitution into the Jacobi coefficient, followed by relabeling summed indices, givessince the parentheses are the components of $d\Omega$. Hence every symplectic manifold carries a Poisson structure. The opposite overall convention for the inverse bracket gives the same conclusion. Nondegeneracy and closure together are crucial; an arbitrary invertible antisymmetric tensor need not satisfy the Jacobi identity.

For a finite-dimensional Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, its dual space ${\mathfrak{g}}^{\ast }$ carries the Lie-Poisson bracketwhere $d{f}_{\ell },d{g}_{\ell }$ are identified with elements of $\mathfrak{g}$. If $[e_i,e_j]=c_{ij}{}^k{e}_k$ and $x_i(\ell )=\ell (e_i)$, this reads $\{x_i,x_j\}=c_{ij}{}^k{x}_k$. The Jacobi coefficient iswhich vanishes by the Lie algebra Jacobi identity.

In particular, the dual of $\mathfrak{so}(3)$ is ${\mathbb{R}}^3$ with the rotational Lie-Poisson structure on R3,The Poisson bivector has rank two away from the origin and rank zero at the origin. The function $x^2+y^2+z^2$ is a Casimir function, since its bracket with every function vanishes. The centred spheres are its two-dimensional symplectic leaves, and the origin is a point leaf. This is a Poisson manifold but not a symplectic manifold: its bivector is not invertible, and an odd-dimensional manifold cannot have a nondegenerate alternating bilinear form.

For a group action of $G$ on $X$, the orbit of a group action through $x$ is $Gx=\{gx:g\in G\}$, and its stabilizer subgroup is $H_x=\{g:gx=x\}$. A transitive group action has one orbit. A simply transitive group action has exactly one element carrying any given point to any other; equivalently it is transitive and every stabilizer subgroup is trivial.

In the modern terminology, a multiply transitive group action is transitive on ordered $k$-tuples of distinct points for some $k\ge 2$. In older geometric usage, the phrase can instead mean transitive but not simply transitive, so that there are several elements carrying one point to another. Under either interpretation the action is transitive, and that alone is what the following argument needs. These meanings should not be confused: a transitive action with nontrivial stabilizers need not be two-transitive.

Fix $x_0\in X$ and put $H=H_{x_0}$. DefineThis is well-defined because every element of $H$ fixes $x_0$. It is surjective by transitivity, and $g{x}_0=g^{\prime }{x}_0$ is equivalent to $g^{\prime -1}g\in H$, proving injectivity. For a smooth Lie group action, $H$ is closed, since it is the inverse image of $x_0$ under the orbit map. The orbit map has constant rank: translations in $G$ and the action diffeomorphisms of $X$ intertwine its differentials. Transitivity makes this rank $\dim X$; otherwise every point would be a critical value, contradicting Sard theorem. Its local submersion charts give smooth local sections and hence a smooth inverse for $F$. ThereforeChoosing $x_1=a{x}_0$ replaces $H$ by $aH{a}^{-1}$. Thus the stabilizer subgroup is determined by the base point, and intrinsically only up to conjugacy. A simply transitive group action gives $H=\{e\}$.

For a finite quantum system with Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}={\mathbb{C}}^{n+1}$, a pure state is a nonzero vector modulo multiplication by a nonzero complex number. Equivalently, it is a unit vector modulo its physically irrelevant phase. Consequently the space of pure states is the space of complex lines,The qualification “pure” is essential: arbitrary quantum states include mixed density matrices and do not form Complex projective space.

The unitary group $U(n+1)$ acts transitively on these lines: choose unit vectors in two given lines, complete each to an orthonormal basis, and map one basis to the other by a unitary transformation. The stabilizer of the line $\mathbb{C}{e}_0$ consists exactly of block matrices $\mathrm{diag}(z,V)$ with $z\in U(1)$ and $V\in U(n)$. Indeed a unitary transformation preserving the line also preserves its orthogonal complement. The homogeneous space description is thereforeIts real dimension is $(n+1{)}^2-1-n^2=2n$. This action is generally not two-transitive: the absolute inner product between unit representatives of two lines is invariant.

The Hopf fibration is the projection $\pi :S^{2n+1}\to {\mathbb{CP}}^n$, $z\mapsto [z]$. The right action $z\cdot \lambda =z\lambda$, $\lambda \in S^1$, is free, and its orbits are exactly the fibres. On the chart $U_i$ where $z_i\ne 0$, write $w_j=z_j/z_i$ for $j\ne i$. A smooth local section isEvery unit vector over this chart has the unique expression $z={\sigma }_i([z])\lambda$, where $\lambda =z_i/|z_i|$. These formulas provide local trivializations ${\pi }^{-1}(U_i)\cong U_i\times S^1$, proving that this is a principal bundle with fibre $S^1$. For $n\ge 1$ it has no global section: a global section would give $S^{2n+1}\cong {\mathbb{CP}}^n\times S^1$, contradicting their fundamental groups. For $n=0$ the base is a point and the bundle is trivial.

For the Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ of a Lie group $G$, let ${\mathrm{ad}}_X(Y)=[X,Y]$. The Killing form is the symmetric bilinear formFor a finite-dimensional real Lie algebra, the Cartan criterion for semisimplicity says that $B$ is nondegenerate precisely when $\mathfrak{g}$ is a semisimple Lie algebra. Thus a semisimple Lie group supplies the required condition. Compactness alone is insufficient: an abelian Lie algebra, including that of a torus, has zero Killing form.

The Jacobi identity gives ${\mathrm{ad}}_{[Z,X]}=[{\mathrm{ad}}_Z,{\mathrm{ad}}_X]$. Cyclic invariance of the trace therefore givesThere is also invariance under the full Adjoint representation of a Lie group: ${\mathrm{ad}}_{{\mathrm{Ad}}_{a}X}={\mathrm{Ad}}_a{\mathrm{ad}}_X{\mathrm{Ad}}_{a^{-1}}$, so $B({\mathrm{Ad}}_{a}X,{\mathrm{Ad}}_{a}Y)=B(X,Y)$.

Define a pseudo-Riemannian metric by translating $B$ from the identity:It is smooth and nondegenerate. Left translations preserve it by construction. Right translation, expressed in left-translated tangent coordinates, acts by ${\mathrm{Ad}}_{b^{-1}}$, so it also preserves the metric. This constructs a bi-invariant pseudo-Riemannian metric.

For left-invariant vector fields, the derivative terms in the Koszul formula vanish. Invariance of $B$ then givesUse the Riemann curvature tensor convention $R(X,Y)Z={\nabla }_X{\nabla }_{Y}Z-{\nabla }_Y{\nabla }_{X}Z-{\nabla }_{[X,Y]}Z$. Substituting the Levi-Civita connection and using the Jacobi identity yieldsThe Ricci tensor is the trace of $X\mapsto R(X,Y)Z$. Since $[[X,Y],Z]={\mathrm{ad}}_Z{\mathrm{ad}}_{Y}X$, it follows thatThis is the Killing-form Einstein metric. Rescaling to $g=cB$, with nonzero constant $c$, gives Einstein metric constant $-1/(4c)$.

For a compact semisimple Lie group, $B$ is negative definite and $-B$ is a positive-definite bi-invariant Riemannian metric. For example, $SU(2)$ has topology $S^3$ and metric signature $(0,3)$ for $B$, while $SO(3)$ has the same Lie algebra and metric signature, but topology ${\mathbb{RP}}^3$. The special linear group $SL(2,\mathbb{R})$ has metric signature $(2,1)$ and topology $S^1\times {\mathbb{R}}^2$; its universal covering Lie group has topology ${\mathbb{R}}^3$ and the same Killing form. The real Lie algebra of $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ has metric signature $(3,3)$, and the group has topology $S^3\times {\mathbb{R}}^3$. Thus the Killing form distinguishes compact from noncompact directions in these semisimple examples, but does not determine global topology or distinguish different covering groups.