A **closed geodesic** is a type of curve on a manifold that has several important properties in differential geometry and topology. Here are the key characteristics: 1. **Geodesic**: A geodesic is a curve that locally minimizes distance and is a generalization of the concept of a "straight line" to curved spaces. It can be defined as a curve whose tangent vector is parallel transported along the curve itself.
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A nonconstant geodesic whose position and tangent velocity repeat after a positive time. On a flat torus it is a straight line modulo the lattice, closing when its displacement is a Euclidean lattice vector. A primitive closed geodesic traverses its image without being an iterate of a shorter periodic geodesic.