This text focuses on developing an intimate acquaintance with the geometric meaning of curvature and thereby introduces and demonstrates all the main technical tools needed for a more advanced course on Riemannian manifolds. It covers proving the four most fundamental theorems relating curvature and topology: the Gauss-Bonnet Theorem, the Cartan-Hadamard Theorem, Bonnet's Theorem, and a special case of the Cartan-Ambrose-Hicks Theorem. "One interesting aspect of the book is the decision of which audience to target it towards. ... Overall, this would make a very appropriate text for a graduate course, or a programme of individual study in Riemannian geometry, whether to give a thorough treatment of the fundamentals, or to introduce the more advanced topics in global geometry." (Robert J. Low, Mathematical Reviews, November, 2019)
"This material is carefully developed and several useful examples and exercises are included in each chapter. The reviewer's belief is that this excellent edition will become soon a standard text for several graduate courses as well as an frequent citation in articles." (Mircea Crasmareanu, zbMATH 1409.53001, 2019)
Introduction to Riemannian Manifolds
Preface.- 1. What Is Curvature?.- 2. Riemannian Metrics.- 3. Model Riemannian Manifolds.- 4. Connections.- 5. The Levi-Cevita Connection.- 6. Geodesics and Distance.- 7. Curvature.- 8. Riemannian Submanifolds.- 9. The Gauss-Bonnet Theorem.- 10. Jacobi Fields.- 11. Comparison Theory.- 12. Curvature and Topology.- Appendix A: Review of Smooth Manifolds.- Appendix B: Review of Tensors.- Appendix C: Review of Lie Groups.- References.- Notation Index.- Subject Index.