We devise an algorithm which allows one to count the number of Killing vectors for a Lorentzian manifold of dimension 3. Our algorithm relies on the principal traces of powers of the Ricci tensor and branches intricately according to the values of differential invariants arising from the compatibility conditions of the Killing equation. As illustrating examples, we classify the Lifshitz and pp-wave spacetimes into a hierarchy based on their level of symmetry. A complete classification of spacetimes admitting 4 Killing vectors is also presented.

We investigate an anisotropic model of superconductors in the Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory with a charged scalar field. It is found that the critical temperature decreases as the anisotropy becomes large. We then estimate the energy gap of the superconductor, and find that the ratio of the energy gap to the critical temperature increases as the anisotropy increases and so it is larger than that in the isotropic case. We also find that peudogap appears due to the anisotropy.

Killing tensor fields have been thought of as describing hidden symmetry of space(-time) since they are in one-to-one correspondence with polynomial first integrals of geodesic equations. Since many problems in classical mechanics can be formulated as geodesic problems in curved spaces and spacetimes, solving the defining equation for Killing tensor fields (the Killing equation) is a powerful way to integrate equations of motion. Thus it has been desirable to formulate the integrability conditions of the Killing equation, which serve to determine the number of linearly independent solutions and also to restrict the possible forms of solutions tightly. In this paper, we show the prologation for the Killing equation in a manner that uses Young symmetrizers. Using the prolonged equations, we provide the integrability conditions explicitly.

A three-dimensional Riemannian manifold has locally 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 or none independent Killing vectors. We present an explicit algorithm for computing dimension of the infinitesimal isometry algebra. It branches according to the values of curvature invariants. These are relative differential invariants computed via curvature, but they are not scalar polynomial Weyl invariants. We compare our obstructions to the existence of Killing vectors with the known existence criteria due to Singer, Kerr and others.

We discuss novel generalisations of Killing tensors, which are introduced by considering rational first integrals of geodesic equations. We introduce the notion of inconstructible generalised Killing tensors, which cannot be constructed from ordinary Killing tensors. Moreover, we introduce inconstructible rational first integrals, which are constructed from inconstructible generalised Killing tensors, and provide a method for checking the inconstructibility of a rational first integral. Using the method, we show that the rational first integral of the Collinson-O'Donnell solution is not inconstructible. We also provide several examples of metrics admitting an inconstructible rational first integral in two and four dimensions, by using the Maciejewski-Przybylska system. Furthermore, we attempt to generalise other hidden symmetries such as Killing-Yano tensors.PACS numbers: 02.40.Ky,04.20.-q ‡ It should be remarked that the idea of considering connections with totally skew-symmetric torsion was already proposed by Strominger [21] in the context of string theories, where such a torsion is identified with the 3-form flux livinging in the theories.