On Flag Curvature of Homogeneous Randers Spaces

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper we give an explicit formula for the flag curvature of homogeneous Randers spaces of Douglas type and apply this formula to obtain some interesting results. We first deduce an explicit formula for the flag curvature of an arbitrary left invariant Randersmetric on a two-step nilpotent Lie group. Then we obtain a classification of negatively curved homogeneous Randers spaces of Douglas type. This results, in particular, in many examples of homogeneous non-Riemannian Finsler spaces with negative flag curvature. Finally, we prove a rigidity result that a homogeneous Randers space of Berwald type whose flag curvature is everywhere nonzero must be Riemannian.