Where is the geometry in a Klein geometry?

Suppose we have a Klein geometry M=G/H, so we have a H-principal bundle π:G→M. Suppose it is a reductive Klein geometry, so we have an Ad(H)-invariant decomposition of the Lie algebra g. Then, the Maurer-Cartan form A of G can be accordingly decomposed

g=h⊕m,

where m is a complementary subspace to h in g that is invariant under the adjoint action of H, i.e., Ad(h)m⊆m for all h∈H.

Consider the Maurer-Cartan form A∈Ω1(G,g), an G-equivariant map that associates to each g∈G and v∈TgG an element Ag(v)∈g. In this context, one can decompose A in accordance with the Lie algebra decomposition:

A=Ah+Am,

where Ah∈Ω1(G,h) and Am∈Ω1(G,m) are the respective components of the Maurer-Cartan form with respect to the decomposition.

If we fix a particular m and a particular linear isomorphism i:Rn→m we have that given p∈G with π(p)=x the following map is a linear isomorphism

φp:Rn→im→(Am)p−1ker⁡((Ah)p)→dπpTxM,

since (Am)p is a linear isomorphism.

On the other hand, for M we have the frame bundle πFM:FM→M, which is a principal bundle with the group GL(n). Recall that FxM={b:Rn→TxM,b linear isomorphism}.

We can define a map h:H→GL(n) such that the map:

Φ:G→FM,Φ(p)=φp

is a bundle morphism over M that respects the group actions, i.e.:

  1. πFM∘Φ=π.
  2. Φ(pg)=Φ(p)⋅h(g), whenever p∈G and g is in H.

Specifically, set

h(g)=i−1∘Ad(g)∘i,

where Ad(g):m→m is the adjoint action of g. Then, for v∈Rn

Φ(pg)(v)=φpg(v)=dπpg∘(Am)pg−1∘i(v).

Observe that ((Rg−1)∗Am)pg=(Am)p∘(Rg−1)∗ by definition of pullback, and by the properties of the Maurer Cartan form ((Rg−1)∗Am)pg=Ad(g)∘(Am)pg, so we have

(Am)pg−1=(Rg)∗∘(Am)p−1∘Ad(g).

On the other hand, since G is an H-principal bundle, dπpg=dπp∘(Rg−1)∗ (see this). So finally we obtain

Φ(pg)(v)=dπp∘(Am)p−1∘Ad(g)∘i(v)=φp(h(g)(v))=Φ(p)⋅h(g)(v).

What we have, then, is nothing but a group reduction of FM, or equivalently, an H-structure on M. Since they are in 1-to-1 relation with sections of FM/H, what we have introduced in M is a choice of a preferred basis in every point x in M. And the set of preferred basis is, in a sense, a geometry in M

Examples: