# How do I interpret this statement?

This is about a derivation of the geodesic equation (Carrol, 2003), in which the author gave 2 definitions of the geodesic curve; the first one is that the tangent vector is parallel transported on the curve, and the second is that the curve is the extremal of the path length functional. I have no problem understanding everything but this paragraph:

What was hidden in our derivation of (3.47) was that the demand that the tangent vector be parallel transported actually constrains the parameterization of the curve, specifically to one related to the proper time by (3.58).

Where (3.47) is the equation derived from the first definition:

$$\frac{\mathrm d^2x^\mu}{\mathrm d\lambda^2}+\Gamma^\mu_{\rho\sigma}\frac{\mathrm dx^\rho}{\mathrm d\lambda}\frac{\mathrm dx^\sigma}{\mathrm d\lambda}=0$$

and $\lambda$ is an arbitrary parameter when doing the calculation. (3.58) is the definition of affine parameters. The second definition leads to almost the same equation, but with the parameter restricted to $\tau$.

I am a little stuck. How exactly does the parameterization be constrained? Any help is appreciated.

• Possibly you could improve your self-answer by giving a really simple example, like a particle moving along the $x$ axis in Minkowski space, under a correct and incorrect parametrization. – user4552 Aug 20 '18 at 12:59