A geodesic of a homogeneous Riemannian manifold $(M=G/K, g)$ is called homogeneous if it is an orbit of an one-parameter subgroup of $G$. In the case when $M=G/H$ is a naturally reductive space, that is the $G$-invariant metric $g$ is defined by some non degenerate biinvariant symmetric bilinear form $B$, all geodesics of $M$ are homogeneous. We consider the case when $M=G/K$ is a flag manifold, i.e\. an adjoint orbit of a compact semisimple Lie group $G$, and we give a simple necessary condition that $M$ admits a non-naturally reductive invariant metric with homogeneous geodesics. Using this, we enumerate flag manifolds of a classical Lie group $G$ which may admit a non-naturally reductive $G$-invariant metric with homogeneous geodesics.
@article{119313,
author = {Dimitri V. Alekseevsky and Andreas Arvanitoyeorgos},
title = {Metrics with homogeneous geodesics on flag manifolds},
journal = {Commentationes Mathematicae Universitatis Carolinae},
volume = {43},
year = {2002},
pages = {189-199},
zbl = {1090.53044},
mrnumber = {1922121},
language = {en},
url = {http://dml.mathdoc.fr/item/119313}
}
Alekseevsky, Dimitri V.; Arvanitoyeorgos, Andreas. Metrics with homogeneous geodesics on flag manifolds. Commentationes Mathematicae Universitatis Carolinae, Tome 43 (2002) pp. 189-199. http://gdmltest.u-ga.fr/item/119313/
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