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Pullback (differential Geometry)
Suppose that is a smooth map between smooth manifolds ''M'' and ''N''. Then there is an associated linear map from the space of 1-forms on ''N'' (the linear space of sections of the cotangent bundle) to the space of 1-forms on ''M''. This linear map is known as the pullback (by ''φ''), and is frequently denoted by ''φ''∗. More generally, any covariant tensor field – in particular any differential form – on ''N'' may be pulled back to ''M'' using ''φ''. When the map ''φ'' is a diffeomorphism, then the pullback, together with the pushforward, can be used to transform any tensor field from ''N'' to ''M'' or vice versa. In particular, if ''φ'' is a diffeomorphism between open subsets of R''n'' and R''n'', viewed as a change of coordinates (perhaps between different charts on a manifold ''M''), then the pullback and pushforward describe the transformation properties of covariant and contravariant tensors used in more traditional (coordinate dependent) approaches ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Differential Form
In mathematics, differential forms provide a unified approach to define integrands over curves, surfaces, solids, and higher-dimensional manifolds. The modern notion of differential forms was pioneered by Élie Cartan. It has many applications, especially in geometry, topology and physics. For instance, the expression is an example of a -form, and can be integrated over an interval contained in the domain of : :\int_a^b f(x)\,dx. Similarly, the expression is a -form that can be integrated over a surface : :\int_S (f(x,y,z)\,dx\wedge dy + g(x,y,z)\,dz\wedge dx + h(x,y,z)\,dy\wedge dz). The symbol denotes the exterior product, sometimes called the ''wedge product'', of two differential forms. Likewise, a -form represents a volume element that can be integrated over a region of space. In general, a -form is an object that may be integrated over a -dimensional manifold, and is homogeneous of degree in the coordinate differentials dx, dy, \ldots. On an -dimensional manifold, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |