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We show that in a spacetime geometry with general connection, there exist field redefinitions that replace the mixed-symmetry nonmetricity of the asymmetric connection with the sum of torsion and the field strength of special conformal transformations of a Lorentzian connection. In contrast to general relativity, generic action functionals give different results for metric versus Palatini-style variations. We consider some of the resulting issues in Poincar\`e gauge theory, where it is natural to vary both the solder form and the spin connection, and where the action may differ from the Einstein-Hilbert case. Independent variation may introduce nonmetricity as well as torsion. Appending the defining equation of nonmetricity to the Maurer-Cartan equations of the Poincar\`e Lie algebra, we show that the mixed symmetry components of nonmetricity can be absorbed into an altered torsion tensor, restoring local Lorentz symmetry and metric compatibility while including quadratic terms in the redefined curvature. In order to recover the original torsion and nonmetric fields, we replace the definition of nonmetricity by an additional structure equation. We show that the maximal Lie algebra compatible with the enlarged set is isomorphic to the conformal Lie algebra. Therefore, in a Lorentzian conformal geometry the sum of torsion and the field strength of special conformal transformations is given by the mixed symmetry nonmetricity of an equivalent asymmetric system., Comment: 11 pages plus citations

Ehlers, Pirani, and Schild argued that measurements of null and timelike geodesics yield Weyl and projective connections, respectively, with compatibility in the lightlike limit giving an integrable Weyl connection. Their conclusions hold only for a 4-dim representation of the conformal connection on the null cone, and by restricting reparameterizations of timelike geodesics to yield a torsion-free, affine connection. An arbitrary connection gives greater freedom. A linear connection for the conformal symmetry of null geodesics requires the SO(4,2) representation. The enlarged class of projective transformations of timelike geodesics changes Weyl's projective curvature, and we find invariant forms of the torsion and nonmetricity, along with a new, invariant, second rank tensor field generalizing the dilatational curvature without requiring a metric. We show that either projective or conformal connections require a monotonic, twice differentiable function on a spacetime region foliated by order isomorphic, totally ordered, twice differentiable timelike curves in a necessarily Lorentzian geometry. We prove that the conditions for projective and conformal Ricci flatness imply each other and gauge choices within either can reduce the geometry to the original Riemannian form. Thus, measurements of null and timelike geodesics lead to an SO(4,2) connection, with no requirement for a lightlike limit. Reduction to integrable Weyl symmetry can only follow from the field equations of a gravity theory. We show that the simplest quadratic spacetime action leads to this reduction., Comment: Reworked for conciseness, to stress new results, and to present stronger claims. 19 pages plus references

We find a large internal symmetry within 4-dimensional Poincare gauge theory. In the Riemann-Cartan geometry of Poincare gauge theory the field equation and geodesics are invariant under projective transformation, just as in affine geometry. However, in the Riemann-Cartan case the torsion and nonmetricity tensors change. By generalizing the Riemann-Cartan geometry to allow both torsion and nonmetricity while maintaining local Lorentz symmetry the difference of the antisymmetric part of the nonmetricity Q and the torsion T is a projectively invariant linear combination $S = T - Q$ with the same symmetry as torsion. The structure equations may be written entirely in terms of S and the corresponding Riemann-Cartan curvature. The new description of the geometry has manifest projective and Lorentz symmetries, and vanishing nonmetricity. Torsion, S and Q lie in the vector space of vector-valued 2-forms. Within the extended geometry we define rotations with axis in the direction of S. These rotate both torsion and nonmetricity while leaving S invariant. In n dimensions and (p, q) signature this gives a large internal symmetry. The four dimensional case acquires SO(11,9) or Spin(11,9) internal symmetry, sufficient for the Standard Model. The most general action up to linearity in second derivatives of the solder form now includes combinations quadratic in torsion and nonmetricity, torsion-nonmetricity couplings, and the Einstein-Hilbert action. Imposing projective invariance reduces this to dependence on S and curvature alone. The new internal symmetry decouples from gravity in agreement with the Coleman-Mandula theorem., Comment: 19 pages; 25 pp including references and 2 appendices Brief proof of equivalence of Weyl vector and trace of nonmetricity added

We study sources for torsion in Poincare gauge theory of any dimension, signature, and spin. We find that symmetric kinetic terms for non-Yang-Mills bosonic fields of arbitrary rank drive torsion. Our detailed discussion of spin-3/2 Rarita-Schwinger fields shows that they source all independent parts of the torsion. We develop systematic notation for spin-(2k+1)/2 fields and find the spin tensor for arbitrary k in n > 2k dimensions. For k > 0 there is a novel direct coupling between torsion and spinor fields. We also cast the well-known gauge relation between the canonical and Belinfante-Rosenfield energy tensors in terms of different choices of independent variables., Comment: 28 pp. Introductory Sections condensed; 2 and 3 dimensional examples added

We detail a novel theoretical prediction that a geometric torsion model for scalar field dark matter could lead to oscillations, on readily probeable timescales, in the time evolution of cosmological redshifts of astronomical sources with qualitatively distinct behavior at different redshift scales (larger or smaller than z ~ 0.1). We present an analysis of extant spectroscopy data from the Australian Dark Energy Survey (OzDES) to assess whether such signals are present across a wide array of cosmological sources and baseline redshifts on the six-year timescale of OzDES. While a simple Fourier analysis of redshift variations weakly identifies some candidate frequencies, and so further investigation with future cosmological data sets may be warranted, we have not found compelling empirical evidence for the theory under consideration in this data set, placing tentative constraints on its free parameters., Comment: 18 pages; 5 figures

A novel perspective on defining black holes designed to be more broadly applicable outside of asymptotically flat spacetimes, in the context of classical general relativity, is presented, discussed, and characterized. The construction formalizes the heuristic idea that black holes are the "past Cauchy development of the set of singularities". As such, the formulation depends in a critical way on the identification of singularities, which has been treated in the literature through various boundary constructions. While many of the known boundary constructions (e.g. Schmidt's b-boundary or Geroch's g-boundary) could in principal be cited as underlying one's notion of a black hole, well-known topological concerns leads us to take the perspective that Scott and Szekeres' abstract boundary provides the most natural choice. The framework is utilized to put forward a general, non-IVP formulation of the Weak Cosmic Censorship Conjecture., Comment: 35 pages, 14 figures

We investigate the occurrence of naked singularities, local and global, in the incoming Vaidya spacetimes with zero initial mass. While it is well-known that these spacetimes admit locally and globally naked singularities, we demonstrate that globally naked singularities are significantly more common than is stressed in the literature, being generic in a natural topology on this collection of spacetimes. A heuristic consequence of the results is that the slow accumulation of mass is both necessary and sufficient for both types of naked singularities in these spacetimes. We demonstrate that the naked singularity, as long as it exists, always has divergent curvature (Kretschmann scalar) associated to it along emerging null curves, regardless of the form of the mass function. In particular, a consequence is that the curvature strength of the singularity cannot be smoothed away., Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure

Independent variation of the metric and connection in the Einstein-Hilbert action, called the Palatini variation, is generally taken to be equivalent to the usual formulation of general relativity in which only the metric is varied. However, when an abelian symmetry is allowed for the connection, the Palatini variation leads to an integrable Weyl geometry, not Riemannian. We derive this result using two possible metric/connection pairs: (1) the metric and general coordinate connection and (2) the solder form and local Lorentz spin connection of Poincar\`e gauge theory. Both lead to the same conclusion. Finally, we relate our work to other treatments in the literature., Comment: Modified presentation. 19 pages

We develop the methods used by Rudnev and Wheeler to prove an incidence theorem between arbitrary sets of M\"{o}bius transformations and point sets in $\mathbb F_p^2$. We also note some asymmetric incidence results, and give applications of these results to various problems in additive combinatorics and discrete geometry., Comment: 12 pages

We prove new incidence bounds between a plane point set, which is a Cartesian product, and a set of translates $H$ of the hyperbola $xy=\lambda\neq 0$, over a field of asymptotically large positive characteristic $p$. They improve recent bounds by Shkredov, which are based on using explicit incidence estimates in the early terminated procedure of repeated applications of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, underlying many qualitative results related to growth and expansion in groups. The improvement -- both quantitative, plus we are able to deal with a general $H$, rather than a Cartesian product -- is mostly due to a non-trivial "intermediate" bound on the number of $k$-rich M\"obius hyperbolae in positive characteristic. In addition, we make an observation that a certain energy-type quantity in the context of $H$ can be bounded via the $L^2$-moment of the Minkowski distance in $H$ and can therefore fetch the corresponding estimates apropos of the Erd\H{o}s distinct distance problem., Comment: 17 pages

Biconformal gravity, based on gauging of the conformal group to 2n dimensions, reproduces n-dim scale-covariant general relativity on the co-tangent bundle in any dimension. We generalize this result to include Yang-Mills matter sources formulated as SU\left(N\right) gauge theories with a twisted action on the full 2n-dimensional biconformal space. We show that the coupling of the sources to gravity does not stop the reduction of effective dimension 2n\rightarrow n of the gravity theory, and instead forces the Yang-Mills source to reduce to ordinary n-dimensional Yang-Mills theory on the gravitating cotangent bundle, with the usual Yang-Mills energy tensor as gravitational source. The results apply as well to gravity with sources on K\"ahler manifolds and in double field theories., Comment: 67 pages including appendices and references Clarified discussion of Kahler and Killing forms; added discussion of alternative Weyl gravity sources

We study the growth of product sets in some finite three-dimensional matrix groups. In particular, we prove two results about the group of $2\times 2$ upper triangular matrices over arbitrary finite fields: a product set estimate using techniques from multiplicative combinatorics, and an energy estimate using incidence geometry. The energy method gives better quantitative results, but only applies to small sets. We also prove an energy result for the Heisenberg group., Comment: 20 pages

Flatly Foliated Relativity (FFR) is a new theory which conceptually lies between Special Relativity (SR) and General Relativity (GR), in which spacetime is foliated by flat Euclidean spaces. While GR is based on the idea that "matter curves spacetime", FFR is based on the idea that "matter curves spacetime, but not space". This idea, inspired by the observed spatial flatness of our local universe, is realized by considering the same action as used in GR, but restricting it only to metrics which are foliated by flat spatial slices. FFR can be thought of as describing gravity without gravitational waves. In FFR, a positive cosmological constant implies several interesting properties which do not follow in GR: the metric equations are elliptic on each euclidean slice, there exists a unique vacuum solution among those spherically symmetric at infinity, and there exists a geometric way to define the arrow of time. Furthermore, as gravitational waves do not exist in FFR, there are simple analogs to the positive mass theorem and Penrose-type inequalities. Importantly, given that gravitational waves have a negligible effect on the curvature of spacetime, and that the universe appears to be locally flat, FFR may be a good approximation of GR. Moreover, FFR still admits many notable features of GR including the big bang, an accelerating expansion of the universe, and the Schwarzschild spacetime. Lastly, FFR is already known to have an existence theory for some simplified cases, which provokes an interesting discussion regarding the possibility of a more general existence theory, which may be relevant to understanding existence of solutions to GR., Comment: 29 pages, 2 figures

We consider the conformal group of a space of dim n=p+q, with SO(p,q) metric. The quotient of this group by its homogeneous Weyl subgroup gives a principal fiber bundle with 2n-dim base manifold and Weyl fibers. The Cartan generalization to a curved 2n-dim geometry admits an action functional linear in the curvatures. Because symmetry is maintained between the translations and the special conformal transformations in the construction, these spaces are called biconformal; this same symmetry gives biconformal spaces overlapping structures with double field theories, including manifest T duality. We establish that biconformal geometry is a form of double field theory, showing how general relativity with integrable local scale invariance arises from its field equations. While we discuss the relationship between biconformal geometries and the double field theories of T-dual string theories, our principal interest is the study of the gravity theory. We show that vanishing torsion and vanishing co-torsion solutions to the field equations overconstrain the system, implying a trivial biconformal space. Wih co-torsion unconstrained, we show that (1) the torsion-free solutions are foliated by copies of an n-dim Lie group, (2) torsion-free solutions generically describe locally scale-invariant general relativity with symmetric, divergence-free sources on either the co-tangent bundle of n-dim (p,q)-spacetime or the torus of double field theory, and (3) torsion-free solutions admit a subclass of spacetimes with n-dim non-abelian Lie symmetry. These latter cases include the possibility of a gravity-electroweak unification. It is notable that the field equations reduce all curvature components to dependence only on the solder form of an n-dim Lagrangian submanifold, despite the increased number of curvature components and doubled number of initial independent variables., Comment: 56 pages

We develop the properties of Weyl geometry, beginning with a review of the conformal properties of Riemannian spacetimes. Decomposition of the Riemann curvature into trace and traceless parts allows an easy proof that the Weyl curvature tensor is the conformally invariant part of the Riemann curvature, and shows the explicit change in the Ricci and Schouten tensors required to insure conformal invariance. We include a proof of the well-known condition for the existence of a conformal transformation to a Ricci-flat spacetime. We generalize this to a derivation of the condition for the existence of a conformal transformation to a spacetime satisfying the Einstein equation with matter sources. Then, enlarging the symmetry from Poincar\'e to Weyl, we develop the Cartan structure equations of Weyl geometry, the form of the curvature tensor and its relationship to the Riemann curvature of the corresponding Riemannian geometry. We present a simple theory of Weyl-covariant gravity based on a curvature-linear action, and show that it is conformally equivalent to general relativity. This theory is invariant under dilatations, but not the full conformal group., Comment: 27 pp Minor notational changes, additional example and conclusion added

According to the Coleman-Mandula theorem, any gauge theory of gravity combined with an internal symmetry based on a Lie group must take the form of a direct product in order to be consistent with basic assumptions of quantum field theory. However, we show that an alternative gauging of a simple group can lead dynamically to a spacetime with compact internal symmetry. The biconformal gauging of the conformal symmetry of n-dim Euclidean space doubles the dimension to give a symplectic manifold. Examining one of the Lagrangian submanifolds in the flat case, we find that in addition to the expected SO(n) connection and curvature, the solder form necessarily becomes Lorentzian. General coordinate invariance gives rise to an SO(n-1,1) connection on the spacetime. The principal fiber bundle character of the original SO(n) guarantees that the two symmetries enter as a direct product, in agreement with the Coleman-Mandula theorem., Comment: Added section to discuss full space as cotangent bundle

When the full connection of Weyl conformal gravity is varied instead of just the metric, the resulting vacuum field equations reduce to the vacuum Einstein equation, up to the choice of local units, if and only if the torsion vanishes. This result differs strongly from the usual fourth-order formulation of Weyl gravity., Comment: Final version, 11 pages. The role of torsion is clarified, two appendices - on structure equations and Bianchi identities and on the basis equation - have been added

The quotient of the conformal group of Euclidean 4-space by its Weyl subgroup results in a geometry possessing many of the properties of relativistic phase space, including both a natural symplectic form and non-degenerate Killing metric. We show that the general solution posesses orthogonal Lagrangian submanifolds, with the induced metric and the spin connection on the submanifolds necessarily Lorentzian, despite the Euclidean starting pont. By examining the structure equations of the biconformal space in an orthonormal frame adapted to its phase space properties, we also find that two new tensor fields exist in this geometry, not present in Riemannian geometry. The first is a combination of the Weyl vector with the scale factor on the metric, and determines the timelike directions on the submanifolds. The second comes from the components of the spin connection, symmetric with respect to the new metric. Though this field comes from the spin connection it transforms homogeneously. Finally, we show that in the absence of conformal curvature or sources, the configuration space has geometric terms equivalent to a perfect fluid and a cosmological constant., Comment: 26 pages, no figures. Appreciable introductory material added. Results substantially strengthened and explained. New results concerning dark matter and dark energy candidates added to this version

Of those gauge theories of gravity known to be equivalent to general relativity, only the biconformal gauging introduces new structures - the quotient of the conformal group of any pseudo-Euclidean space by its Weyl subgroup always has natural symplectic and metric structures. Using this metric and symplectic form, we show that there exist canonically conjugate, orthogonal, metric submanifolds if and only if the original gauged space is Euclidean or signature 0. In the Euclidean cases, the resultant configuration space must be Lorentzian. Therefore, in this context, time may be viewed as a derived property of general relativity., Comment: 21 pages (Reduced to clarify and focus on central argument; some calculations condensed; typos corrected)

A survey of topics of recent interest in Hamiltonian and Lagrangian dynamical systems, including accessible discussions of regularization of the central force problem; inequivalent Lagrangians and Hamiltonians; constants of central force motion; a general discussion of higher-order Lagrangians and Hamiltonians with examples from Bohmian quantum mechanics, the Korteweg-de Vries equation and the logistic equation; gauge theories of Newtonian mechanics; classical spin, Grassmann numbers, and pseudomechanics., Comment: Einstein Centennial Review Article, 48 pages

We write a gravity theory with Yang-Mills type action using the biconformal gauging of the conformal group. We show that the resulting biconformal Yang-Mills gravity theories describe 4-dim, scale-invariant general relativity in the case of slowly changing fields. In addition, we systematically extend arbitrary 4-dim Yang-Mills theories to biconformal space, providing a new arena for studying flat space Yang-Mills theories. By applying the biconformal extension to a 4-dim pure Yang-Mills theory with conformal symmetry, we establish a 1-1, onto mapping between a set of gravitational gauge theories and 4-dim, flat space gauge theories., Comment: 27 pages; paper emphasis shifted to focus on gravity; references added

Biconformal spaces contain the essential elements of quantum mechanics, making the independent imposition of quantization unnecessary. Based on three postulates characterizing motion and measurement in biconformal geometry, we derive standard quantum mechanics, and show how the need for probability amplitudes arises from the use of a standard of measurement. Additionally, we show that a postulate for unique, classical motion yields Hamiltonian dynamics with no measurable size changes, while a postulate for probabilistic evolution leads to physical dilatations manifested as measurable phase changes. Our results lead to the Feynman path integral formulation, from which follows the Schroedinger equation. We discuss the Heisenberg uncertainty relation and fundamental canonical commutation relations., Comment: 34 pages; replaced discussion of multiparticle Hamiltonian dynamics

Biconformal supergravity models provide a new gauging of the superconformal group relevant to the Maldacena conjecture. Using the group quotient method to biconformally gauge SU(2,2|N), we generate a 16-dim superspace. We write the most general even- and odd-parity actions linear in the curvatures, the bosonic sector of which is known to descend to general relativity on a 4-dim manifold., Comment: 35 pages, adjusted group nomenclature, 1 reference and acknowledgements added

We derive both Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics as gauge theories of Newtonian mechanics. Systematic development of the distinct symmetries of dynamics and measurement suggest that gauge theory may be motivated as a reconciliation of dynamics with measurement. Applying this principle to Newton's law with the simplest measurement theory leads to Lagrangian mechanics, while use of conformal measurement theory leads to Hamilton's equations., Comment: 44 pages, no figures, LaTeX

We show that the grading of fields by conformal weight, when built into the initial group symmetry, provides a discrete, non-central conformal extension of any group containing dilatations. We find a faithful vector representation of the extended conformal group and show that it has a scale-invariant scalar product and satisfies a closed commutator algebra. The commutator algebra contains the infinite Heisenberg and Virasoro algebras. In contrast to the classical treatment of scale invariance, covariant derivatives and gauge transformations automatically incorporate the correct conformal weights when the extended symmetry is gauged., Comment: 15 pages