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  "body": "\n## Summary\n\nA geodesic on a [[Riemannian manifold|7CBT4SM83Y]] is a curve whose velocity is parallel along itself for the [[Levi-Civita connection|CAZYGE1T4E]].\nSo it has zero acceleration within the manifold.\nGeodesics generalise straight lines: short pieces of a geodesic are the shortest curves between their endpoints.\nThey are solutions of a second-order ordinary differential equation, so a geodesic is determined by its starting point and starting velocity.\nGeodesics are the basic tool for studying distance, curvature and topology of Riemannian manifolds.\n\n## Explanations\n\n### L1 human\n\nA geodesic is the path of someone who walks straight ahead on a curved surface without ever turning left or right.\nOn a plane, geodesics are straight lines traversed at constant speed.\nOn a round sphere, geodesics are great circles, such as the equator or the meridians.\nAirline routes follow great circles because, on the sphere, short arcs of great circles are the shortest paths.\n",
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