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TheoremStatement: AI-adaptedProof: AI-generatedjudge pass (gpt-5.6-terra)audited 2026-09-04
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A Riemannian metric has a unique Levi-Civita connection on the cotangent bundle

Statement

Let g be a Riemannian metric on a smooth manifold M. Then there is a unique symmetric cotangent-bundle connection on M that is metric-compatible with g. In a coordinate chart its Christoffel symbols are

Γijk=12∑ℓgkℓ(∂gjℓ∂xi+∂giℓ∂xj−∂gij∂xℓ),

where (gkℓ) is the inverse matrix of (gkℓ). This connection is the Levi-Civita connection of g on the cotangent bundle.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A smooth manifold M with a Riemannian metric g.

[F1]

Symmetric cotangent-bundle connections, metric compatibility, and covariant Hessians are defined by the coordinate formulas in Riemannian metrics, symmetric cotangent-bundle connections, and covariant Hessians.

Proof

technique · local coefficient construction
1.1F1givenconstruct

Fix a coordinate chart and let (gij) be the metric matrix there. Since g is positive definite, (gij) is invertible at each point; write (gij) for the inverse matrix, define Γijk:=12(∂igjk+∂jgik−∂kgij) and Γijk:=∑ℓgkℓΓijℓ, and use [F1] to obtain a local cotangent-bundle connection.

2.1step 1.1algebra

The formula for Γijk is symmetric in i and j, so Γijk=Γjik. Hence the local connection is symmetric.

2.2F1step 1.1algebra

Adding Γijk and Γikj gives Γijk+Γikj=∂igjk, so the local connection is metric-compatible with g in the sense of [F1].

2.3F1step 1.1algebra

Let x=(xi) and y=(ya) be overlapping charts, and let ∇x,∇y be the local connections from step 1.1 on those chart domains. On the overlap, write ∂yb=∑i∂xi∂yb∂xi,dya=∑k∂ya∂xkdxk. Using the connection formula from [F1] and the Leibniz rule gives ∇∂ybxdya=−∑cΓ~bca dyc, where Γ~bca=∑i,j,k∂ya∂xkΓijk∂xi∂yb∂xj∂yc+∑k∂ya∂xk∂2xk∂yb∂yc. Thus ∇x is also a cotangent-bundle connection in the y-chart, with coefficients Γ~bca.

3.1F1step 2.1step 2.2algebra

Conversely, let Γ~ijk be the coefficients of any symmetric metric-compatible cotangent connection in this chart, and write Γ~ijk:=∑ℓgkℓΓ~ijℓ. Symmetry and metric compatibility give ∂igjk=Γ~ijk+Γ~ikj, ∂jgik=Γ~jik+Γ~jki, and ∂kgij=Γ~kij+Γ~kji; substituting Γ~ijk=Γ~jik and Γ~ikj=Γ~kij yields 2Γ~ijk=∂igjk+∂jgik−∂kgij, hence Γ~ijk=Γijk and Γ~ijk=Γijk.

3.2F1step 2.1step 2.2step 2.3algebra

The coefficients from step 2.3 are symmetric in b,c: the first term is symmetric because Γijk=Γjik by step 2.1, and the second is symmetric by equality of mixed partials. If g^cd=∑r,sgrs∂xr∂yc∂xs∂yd are the metric coefficients in the y-chart, then differentiating this identity and using step 2.2 in the x-chart yields ∂g^cd∂yb=Γ~bcd+Γ~bdc, where Γ~bcd:=∑ag^daΓ~bca. So ∇x is symmetric and metric-compatible in the y-chart as well.

4.1step 1.1step 3.1step 3.2

Step 3.1 now applies in the y-chart: the y-coefficients of ∇x are exactly the Christoffel symbols computed from the metric in that chart. But that is how ∇y was defined in step 1.1, so ∇x=∇y on the overlap. Therefore the local operators glue to a global cotangent-bundle connection, and the same chartwise uniqueness proves global uniqueness.

5.1step 1.1step 4.1∎

Thus g has a unique symmetric metric-compatible cotangent-bundle connection, whose coordinate coefficients are the displayed Christoffel symbols.

Depends on

Used by

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Sources