A Unified Approach to Extremal Curves on Stiefel Manifolds

Explore a unified framework for studying extremal curves on real Stiefel manifolds in this 49-minute lecture from the Thematic Programme on "Geometry beyond Riemann: Curvature and Rigidity" at the Erwin Schrödinger International Institute for Mathematics and Physics. Delve into a smooth one-parameter family of pseudo-Riemannian metrics on a product of orthogonal groups acting transitively on Stiefel manifolds. Discover Euler-Lagrange equations for a class of extremal curves, including geodesics with respect to different Riemannian metrics and smooth curves of constant geodesic curvature. Learn how specific parameter values in the family of pseudo-Riemannian metrics recover well-known metrics used in applied mathematics. This talk presents joint work with K. Hueper from the University of Wurzburg, Germany, and F. Silva Leite from the University of Coimbra, Portugal.

Irina Markina - A unified approach to extremal curves on Stiefel manifolds