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CorollaryStatement: AI-adaptedProof: AI-adaptedPipeline-generatedjudge pass (gpt-5.6-terra)audited 2026-09-13
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Complete connected Riemannian manifolds are proper length spaces

Statement

Assume ACω. Let (M,g) be a nonempty, connected, boundaryless Riemannian manifold whose Riemannian distance dg is complete. Then (M,dg) is a proper length space in the following precise sense:

  1. every closed bounded subset of (M,dg) is compact;
  2. dg(x,y) is the infimum of the Riemannian lengths of piecewise-C1 curves from x to y; and
  3. for every x,y∈M this infimum is attained by a minimizing geodesic.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: The manifold and completeness hypothesis in the statement.

[A1]

The Axiom of Countable Choice (ACω) is the assumed ACω, and Boundaryless convention for geodesic flow and Hopf–Rinow fixes the boundaryless convention.

[F1]

Riemannian distance on a connected manifold defines dg(x,y) as the infimum of the lengths of piecewise-C1 curves from x to y.

[F2]

Under [A1], Hopf–Rinow theorem says that on a nonempty connected boundaryless Riemannian manifold, completeness of (M,dg) implies both compactness of every closed bounded subset and existence, for each x,y, of a geodesic of length dg(x,y).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1F2

The completeness hypothesis is condition 1 of [F2]. Its equivalent condition 5 proves clause 1, and its final assertion supplies for each x,y the minimizing geodesic in clause 3.

2.1F1step 1.1

Clause 2 is exactly the definition in [F1]. Combining it with clause 3 shows not only that dg is the induced length metric, but that its defining infimum is achieved.

3.1A1F1F2step 1.1step 2.1∎

Nonemptiness, connectedness and absence of boundary are exactly the hypotheses required by [F2]; none is discarded. In dimension zero, M is a singleton, its only closed bounded subsets are empty or singleton, and the constant geodesic realizes distance zero. Dimension one needs no change. At x=y the minimizing geodesic is constant. Empty subsets are covered by clause 1, and there are no radius or endpoint divisions in the proof. The corollary is one-way, so no converse is asserted. Its sole choice assumption is [A1], used through [F2]; reading the defining infimum in [F1] adds no choice.

Source locator

Datar, Theorem 19.2.1 and proof, pp.141--144: metric completeness implies the properness and minimizing-geodesic conclusions read off here.

Depends on

Used by

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Dependency tree · two levels

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Sources