There is no 2-form on $\mathbb R^3$ whose restriction to every surface gives its volume form

148 Views Asked by At

Prove that there isn't such a 2-form $\omega$ on $\mathbb{R}^3$ that $\omega$ restricted to any surface $\Sigma$ gives its volume form.

Suppose that there is such a form:

$$\omega=f_3(x,y,z)dx \wedge dy + f_1(x,y,z)dy \wedge dz+ f_2(x,y,z) dz \wedge dx$$

Consider plane (x,y,c) for any $c$. Then $\omega$ restricted to this plane is:

$$f_3(x,y,c) dx \wedge dy$$

Volume form of plane (x,y,c) is $dx \wedge dy$, so we have:

$$f_3(x,y,c)=1$$

for any $x,y,c$, so $f_3 \equiv 1$. We can do the same with $f_1$ and $f_2$. So:

$$\omega=dx \wedge dy + dy \wedge dz+ dz \wedge dx$$

Now let's consider plane: $(x,y,x)$, $\omega$ restricted to this plane is:

$$dx \wedge dy + dy \wedge dx+ dx \wedge dx=0$$

But volume form of this plane is not $0$.

My question: is it correct? Is there any simplier way to prove that?

1

There are 1 best solutions below

0
On BEST ANSWER

Your proof is correct. I don't think it can be done simpler, but perhaps the following is more "conceptual". The form $\omega$ is the Hodge-* of the $1$-form $f_1\,dx+f_2\,dy+f_3\,dz$. Hence, the volume element of its plane restriction is proportional to the dot product of $(f_1,f_2,f_3)$ with the normal vector to the plane. No matter what $(f_1,f_2,f_3)$ is, there are normal vectors for which the dot product is zero.