It is the Hilbert’s Fourth Problem to characterize the (not-necessarilyreversible) distance functions on a bounded convex domain in R such that straight lines are shortest paths. Distance functions induced by a Finsler metric are regarded as smooth ones. Finsler metrics with straight geodesics said to be projective. It is known that the flag curvature of any projective Finsler metric is a scala...

In Finsler geometry, there are infinitely many models of constant curvature. The Funk metrics, the Hilbert-Klein metrics and the Bryant metrics are projectively flat with non-zero constant curvature. A recent example constructed by the author is projectively flat with zero curvature. In this paper, we introduce a technique to construct non-projectively flat Finsler metrics with zero curvature i...

Smooth Finsler metrics are a natural generalization of Riemannian ones and have been widely studied in the framework of differential geometry. The definition can be weakened by allowing the metric to be only Borel measurable. This generalization is necessary in view of applications, such as, for instance, optimization problems. In this paper we show that smooth Finsler metrics are dense in Bore...

using the electrostatic capacity of a condenser, the existence of a distance function on a finsler space is discussed. this distance function divides finsler spaces into the two classes, denoted here by i and ii. the topology generated by this distance on the finsler spaces of class ii coincides with its intrinsic topology. this work provides a natural extension of mathematical analysis tools n...

In this paper we first study some global properties of the energy functional on a nonreversible Finsler manifold. In particular we present a fully detailed proof of the Palais–Smale condition under the completeness of the Finsler metric. Moreover we define a Finsler metric of Randers type, which we call Fermat metric, associated to a conformally standard stationary spacetime. We shall study the...

We prove that any simply connected and complete Riemannian manifold, on which a Randers metric of positive constant flag curvature exists, must be diffeomorphic to an odd-dimensional sphere, provided a certain 1-form vanishes on it. 1. Introduction. The geometry of Finsler manifolds of constant flag curvature is one of the fundamental subjects in Finsler geometry. Akbar-Zadeh [1] proved that, u...

The aim of the present paper is to provide a global presentation, as complete as we can, of the theory of special Finsler manifolds. We introduce and investigate globally (or intrinsically, free from local coordinates) many of the most important and commonly used special Finsler manifolds : locally Minkowskian, Berwald, Landesberg, general Landesberg, P -reducible, C-reducible, semi-C-reducible...

After recalling the structure equations of Finsler structures on surfaces, I define a notion of ‘generalized Finsler structure’ as a way of micro-localizing the problem of describing Finsler structures subject to curvature conditions. I then recall the basic notions of path geometry on a surface and define a notion of ‘generalized path geometry’ analogous to that of ‘generalized Finsler structu...

It is reasonably well-known that birefringent crystal optics can to some extent be described by the use of pseudo–Finslerian spacetimes (an extension of the natural pseudo-Riemannian Minkowski spacetime one encounters in mono-refringent situations). What is less commonly appreciated is that there are two separate and quite disjoint pseudo–Finsler structures for the two photon polarizations, and...

In this paper, we study a class of Finsler metrics with orthogonal invariance. We find an equation that characterizes these Finsler metrics of almost vanishing H-curvature. As a consequence, we show that all orthogonally invariant Finsler metrics of almost vanishing H-curvature are of almost vanishing Ξ-curvature and corresponding one forms are exact, generalizing a result previously only known...