Manifolds: local & global coordinate charts

[Frank Castle]

Also, one thing I'm slightly confused over now is, if one wishes to compare two vectors at different points in a flat space, then one can uniquely parallel transport one of the vectors to the other and compare them at the same point in a well defined manner. However, this is not around a closed loop and so the components of the parallel transported vector will change, in general (unless one uses Cartesian coordinates), so how can one meaningfully compare the two vectors (for example, suppose it is the same vector, but at two different points, with the same components at both points)? (Apologies, this may be a stupid question - it's a bit late at night and my brain has gone a bit to mush)

Am I just being stupid here, since it is natural that, in a non Cartesian coordinate basis, the basis vectors will vary from point to point so one would expect the components of a vector (with respect to this basis) to vary as one parallel transports the vector from one point to another, in order to keep it parallel to itself. The important point of why one can compare two vectors residing in different tangent spaces (at different points) in flat space is that the path connecting the two tangent spaces, along which one parallel transports one vector to the other to compare them, is unique, and so the comparison of vectors residing in different tangent spaces (in flat space) is a well defined concept?!
(Of course, in a curved space, it is not meaningful to compare vectors in two different tangent spaces (at least from a physical perspective) since the path one parallel transports one vector to the other along is not unique and so it is not well defined, since parallel transport along different paths will yield different results).

 

[Frank Castle]

If the vectors are in the same vector space, you can compare them using the normal addition/subtraction in that vector space. It does not matter what the components are in some arbitrary coordinate system. You simply do the parallel transport and compare the result with the other vector at the point.

Ah ok. Would what I put in my post above (post #36) be correct at all then?

 

[Orodruin]

The important point of why one can compare two vectors residing in different tangent spaces (at different points) in flat space is that the path connecting the two tangent spaces, along which one parallel transports one vector to the other to compare them, is unique, and so the comparison of vectors residing in different tangent spaces (in flat space) is a well defined concept?!

No, the important point is that the parallel transport is independent of the path (again, as long as the manifold is simply connected). Therefore it does not matter which path you select, the result will be the same.

 

[Frank Castle]

No, the important point is that the parallel transport is independent of the path (again, as long as the manifold is simply connected). Therefore it does not matter which path you select, the result will be the same.

So, just to check, in the case of a more general manifold (with a "curved" geometry), parallel transport is not independent of the path taken between two tangent spaces and so comparison of vectors at two different points is not well defined, in the sense that the result depends on the path taken?! Is this why in GR, the velocity of a distant galaxy, for example, is not well defined, since the result is dependent on the path we use to parallel transport its velocity vector to the tangent space to our location?

 

[Orodruin]

So, just to check, in the case of a more general manifold (with a "curved" geometry), parallel transport is not independent of the path taken between two tangent spaces and so comparison of vectors at two different points is not well defined, in the sense that the result depends on the path taken?!

Right.

Is this why in GR, the velocity of a distant galaxy, for example, is not well defined, since the result is dependent on the path we use to parallel transport its velocity vector to the tangent space to our location?

Yes.

 

[Frank Castle]

Right.Yes.

Ok, great. I think things are starting to become a little clearer now. Thanks!