Generalized Gauss-Bonnet theorem
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In mathematics, the generalized-Gauss-Bonnet theorem presents the Euler characteristic of a closed even-dimensional Riemannian manifold as an integral of a certain polynomial derived from its curvature. It is a direct generalization of the Gauss-Bonnet theorem to higher dimensions.
Let M be a compact 2n-dimensional Riemannian manifold without boundary, and let <math>\Omega</math> be the curvature form of the Levi-Civita connection. This means that <math>\Omega</math> is an <math>\mathfrak s\mathfrak o(2n)</math>-valued 2-form on M. So <math>\Omega</math> can be regarded as a skew-symmetric 2n × 2n matrix whose entries are 2-forms, so it is a matrix over the commutative ring <math>\bigwedge^{\hbox{even}}T^*M</math>. One may therefore take the Pfaffian of <math>\Omega</math>, <math>\mbox{Pf}(\Omega)</math>, which turns out to be a 2n-form.
The generalized-Gauss-Bonnet theorem states that
- <math>\int_M \mbox{Pf}(\Omega)=2^n\pi^n\chi(M)</math>
where <math>\chi(M)</math> denotes the Euler characteristic of M.
[edit] Further generalizations
As with the Gauss-Bonnet theorem, there are generalizations when M is a manifold with boundary.
