Nonlinear tensor distributions on Riemannian manifolds

Abstract

We construct an algebra of nonlinear generalized tensor fields on manifolds in the sense of Colom\-beau, i.e., containing distributional tensor fields as a linear subspace and smooth tensor fields as a faithful subalgebra. The use of a background connection on the manifold allows for a simplified construction based on the existing scalar theory of full diffeomorphism invariant Colombeau algebras on manifolds, still having a canonical embedding of tensor distributions. In the particular case of the Levi-Civita connection on Riemannian manifolds, one obtains that this embedding commutes with pullback along homotheties and Lie derivatives along Killing vector fields only.