Abstract
It is commonly held that the Riemannian geometry adopted as the theoretical framework within which observations and experiments, concerning the ‘correct’ theory of gravity, are analyzed is the most general ‘viable’ geometry consistent with observed phenomena. This viewpoint is further strengthened by the belief that the projective and the conformal structures of the space-time together with an additional assumption concerning the constancy of the norm of vectors under parallel transport would uniquely determine its underlying geometry to be Riemannian. We show here that a more general geometrical framework due to Finsler can be made compatible with these structures and still remain non-Riemannian. The potential importance of this result in connection with developing and testing alternative theories of gravity is briefly discussed.
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Tavakol, R.K., Van den Bergh, N. Viability criteria for the theories of gravity and finsler spaces. Gen Relat Gravit 18, 849–859 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00770205
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00770205