Homogeneous phase spaces: the Cayley-Klein framework

Abstract

The metric structure of homogeneous spaces of rank-one and rank-two associated to the real pseudo-orthogonal groups SO(p,q) and some of their contractions (e.g., ISO(p,q), Newton-Hooke type groups...) is studied. All these spaces are described from a unified setting following a Cayley-Klein scheme allowing to simultaneously study the main features of their Riemannian, pesudoRiemannian and semiRiemannian metrics, as well as of their curvatures. Some of the rank-one spaces are naturally interpreted as spacetime models. Likewise, the same natural interpretation for rank-two spaces is as spaces of lines in rank-one spaces; through this relation these rank-two spaces give rise to homogeneous phase space models. The main features of the phase spaces for homogeneous spacetimes are analysed.