Laplacian Operators and Q-curvature on Conformally Einstein Manifolds

A new definition of canonical conformal differential operators P _k (k = 1,2,...), with leading term a kth power of the Laplacian, is given for conformally Einstein manifolds of any signature. These act between density bundles and, more generally, between weighted tractor bundles of any rank. By construction these factor into a power of a fundamental Laplacian associated to Einstein metrics. There are natural conformal Laplacian operators on density bundles due to Graham–Jenne–Mason–Sparling (GJMS). It is shown that on conformally Einstein manifolds these agree with the P _k operators and hence on Einstein manifolds the GJMS operators factor into a product of second-order Laplacian type operators. In even dimension n the GJMS operators are defined only for 1 ≤ k ≤ n/2 and so, on conformally Einstein manifolds, the P _k give an extension of this family of operators to operators of all even orders. For n even and k > n/2 the operators P _k are each given by a natural formula in terms of an Einstein metric but they are not natural conformally invariant operators in the usual sense. They are shown to be nevertheless canonical objects on conformally Einstein structures. There are generalisations of these results to operators between weighted tractor bundles. It is shown that on Einstein manifolds the Branson Q-curvature is constant and an explicit formula for the constant is given in terms of the scalar curvature. As part of development, conformally invariant tractor equations equivalent to the conformal Killing equation are presented.     

Existence and regularity of maximal metrics for the first Laplace eigenvalue on surfaces

We investigate in this paper the existence of a metric which maximizes the first eigenvalue of the Laplacian on Riemannian surfaces. We first prove that, in a given conformal class, there always exists such a maximizing metric which is smooth except at a finite set of conical singularities. This result is similar to the beautiful result concerning Steklov eigenvalues recently obtained by Fraser and Schoen (Sharp eigenvalue bounds and minimal surfaces in the ball, 2013). Then we get existence results among all metrics on surfaces of a given genus, leading to the existence of minimal isometric immersions of smooth compact Riemannian manifold (M, g) of dimension 2 into some k-sphere by first eigenfunctions. At last, we also answer a conjecture of Friedlander and Nadirashvili (Int Math Res Not 17:939–952, 1999) which asserts that the supremum of the first eigenvalue of the Laplacian on a conformal class can be taken as close as we want of its value on the sphere on any orientable surface.     

Geometric rigidity for analytic estimates of Müller–?verák

In the paper Müller–?verák (J Differ Geom 42(2):229–258, 1995) conformally immersed surfaces with finite total curvature were studied. In particular it was shown that surfaces with total curvature ${\int_{\Sigma} |A|^2 < 8 \pi}$ in dimension three were embedded and conformal to the plane with one end. Here, using techniques from Kuwert–Li (W ^2,2-conformal immersions of a closed Riemann surface into R ⁿ . arXiv:1007.3967v2 [math.DG], 2010), we will show that if the total curvature ${ \int_{\Sigma}|A|^2\leq8\pi}$ , then we are either embedded and conformal to the plane, isometric to a catenoid or isometric to Enneper’s minimal surface. In fact the technique of our proof shows that if we are conformal to the plane, then if n?≥ 3 and ${ \int_{\Sigma} | A|^{2}\leq 16 \pi }$ then Σ is embedded or Σ is the image of a generalized catenoid inverted at a point on the catenoid. In order to prove these theorems, we prove a Gauss–Bonnet theorem for surfaces with complete ends and isolated finite area singularities which extends a theorem of Jorge-Meeks (Topology 22(2):203–221, 1983). Using this theorem, we then prove an inversion formula for the Willmore energy.     

Constant mean curvature surfaces of annular type

We consider large solutions of annular type to the volume constrained Douglas problem. They are conformally immersed H-surfaces. By rescaling we set the volume functional at one while the boundary curves shrink to the origin. We show that the solutions become spherical in a precise manner. Spherical bubbling may fail if the conformality condition is dropped. We also discuss the rotationally symmetric annular solutions to the H-surface equation and consider some illustrative examples. Received: 2 May 2000 / Accepted: 23 January 2001 / Published online: 4 May 2001     

A necessary and sufficient condition for the nirenberg problem

We seek metrics conformal to the standard ones on Sⁿ having prescribed Gaussian curvature in case n = 2 (the Nirenberg Problem), or prescribed scalar curvature for n ≧ 3 (the Kazdan-Warner problem). There are well-known Kazdan-Warner and Bourguignon-Ezin necessary conditions for a function R(x) to be the scalar curvature of some conformally related metric. Are those necessary conditions also sufficient? This problem has been open for many years. In a previous paper, we answered the question negatively by providing a family of counter examples. In this paper, we obtain much stronger results. We show that, in all dimensions, if R(x) is rotationally symmetric and monotone in the region where it is positive, then the problem has no solution at all. It follows that, on S², for a non-degenerate, rotationally symmetric function R(θ), a necessary and sufficient condition for the problem to have a solution is that Rθ changes signs in the region where it is positive. This condition, however, is still not sufficient to guarantee the existence of a rotationally symmetric solution, as will be shown in this paper. We also consider similar necessary conditions for non-symmetric functions. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Doubling Property and Vanishing Order of Steklov Eigenfunctions

The paper is concerned with the doubling estimates and vanishing order of the Steklov eigenfunctions on the boundary of a smooth domain in ? ⁿ . The eigenfunction is given by a Dirichlet-to-Neumann map. We improve the doubling property shown by Bellova and Lin. Furthermore, we show that the optimal vanishing order of Steklov eigenfunction is everywhere less than Cλ where λ is the Steklov eigenvalue and C depends only on Ω.     

Désingularisation de métriques d’Einstein. I

We find a new obstruction for a real Einstein 4-orbifold with an A ₁-singularity to be a limit of smooth Einstein 4-manifolds. The obstruction is a curvature condition at the singular point. For asymptotically hyperbolic metrics, with boundary at infinity a conformal metric, we prove that if the obstruction vanishes, one can desingularize Einstein orbifolds with such singularities. The Dirichlet problem consists in finding Einstein metrics with given conformal infinity on the boundary: we prove that our obstruction defines a wall in the space of conformal metrics on the boundary, and that all the Einstein metrics must have their conformal infinity on one side of the wall.     

Compactness for conformal metrics with constant Q curvature on locally conformally flat manifolds

In this note we study the conformal metrics of constant Q curvature on closed locally conformally flat manifolds. We prove that for a closed locally conformally flat manifold of dimension n ≥ 5 and with Poincaré exponent less than , the set of conformal metrics of positive constant Q and positive scalar curvature is compact in the C∞ topology.     

Stability for the Multi-Dimensional Borg-Levinson Theorem with Partial Spectral Data

We prove a stability estimate related to the multi-dimensional Borg-Levinson theorem of determining a potential from spectral data: the Dirichlet eigenvalues λ _k and the normal derivatives ?φ _k /?ν of the eigenfunctions on the boundary of a bounded domain. The estimate is of Hölder type, and we allow finitely many eigenvalues and normal derivatives to be unknown. We also show that if the spectral data is known asymptotically only, up to O(k ^?α) with α ? 1, then we still have Hölder stability.     

Conformally Invariant Operators,Differential Forms,Cohomology and a Generalisation of Q-Curvature

On conformal manifolds of even dimension n ≥ 4 we construct a family of new conformally invariant differential complexes, each containing one coboundary operator of order greater than 1. Each bundle in each of these complexes appears either in the de Rham complex or in its dual (which is a different complex in the non-orientable case). Each of the new complexes is elliptic in case the conformal structure has Riemannian signature. We also construct gauge companion operators which (for differential forms of order k ≤ n/2) complete the exterior derivative to a conformally invariant and (in the case of Riemannian signature) elliptically coercive system. These (operator, gauge) pairs are used to define finite dimensional conformally stable form subspaces which are are candidates for spaces of conformal harmonics. This generalizes the n/2-form and 0-form cases, in which the harmonics are given by conformally invariant systems. These constructions are based on a family of operators on closed forms which generalize in a natural way Branson's Q-curvature. We give a universal construction of these new operators and show that they yield new conformally invariant global pairings between differential form bundles. Finally we give a geometric construction of a family of conformally invariant differential operators between density-valued differential form bundles and develop their properties (including their ellipticity type in the case of definite conformal signature). The construction is based on the ambient metric of Fefferman and Graham, and its relationship to the tractor bundles for the Cartan normal conformal connection. For each form order, our derivation yields an operator of every even order in odd dimensions, and even order operators up to order n in even dimension n. In the case of unweighted (or true) forms as domain, these operators are the natural form analogues of the critical order conformal Laplacian of Graham et al., and are key ingredients in the new differential complexes mentioned above.     

Robin Approximation of Dirichlet Boundary Value Problems

This paper describes the rate of convergence of solutions of Robin boundary value problems of an elliptic equation to the solution of a Dirichlet problem as a boundary parameter decreases to zero. The results are found using representations for solutions of the equations in terms of Steklov eigenfunctions. Particular interest is in the case where the Dirichlet data is only in L²(?Ω,dσ). Various approximation bounds are obtained and the rate of convergence of the Robin approximations in the H¹ and L² norms are shown to have convergence rates that depend on the regularity of the Dirichlet data.     

Equivariance and Multiplicity for the Scalar Curvature Problem

Given (M, g ₀) a three-dimensional compact Riemannian manifold, assumed not to be conformally diffeomorphic to the standard unit 3-sphere, and G a compactsubgroup of the conformal group of (M, g ₀), we first study conditions for a smooth G-invariant function f to be the scalar curvature of a G-invariant conformalmetric to g ₀. Then, extending previous results of Hebeyand Vaugon, we study conditions for f to be the scalarcurvature of at least two conformal metrics to g ₀.     

On the structure of conformally compact Einstein metrics

Let M be an (n + 1)-dimensional manifold with non-empty boundary, satisfying π ₁(M, ? M) = 0. The main result of this paper is that the space of conformally compact Einstein metrics on M is a smooth, infinite dimensional Banach manifold, provided it is non-empty. We also prove full boundary regularity for such metrics in dimension 4 and a local existence and uniqueness theorem for such metrics with prescribed metric and stress–energy tensor at conformal infinity, again in dimension 4. This result also holds for Lorentzian–Einstein metrics with a positive cosmological constant.     

On Harnack inequalities and singularities of admissible metrics in the Yamabe problem

In this paper we study the local behaviour of admissible metrics in the k-Yamabe problem on compact Riemannian manifolds (M, g ₀) of dimension n ≥ 3. For n/2 < k < n, we prove a sharp Harnack inequality for admissible metrics when (M, g ₀) is not conformally equivalent to the unit sphere S ⁿ and that the set of all such metrics is compact. When (M, g ₀) is the unit sphere we prove there is a unique admissible metric with singularity. As a consequence we prove an existence theorem for equations of Yamabe type, thereby recovering as a special case, a recent result of Gursky and Viaclovsky on the solvability of the k-Yamabe problem for k > n/2. This work was supported by the Australian Research Council.     

Unique continuation from infinity in asymptotically anti-de Sitter spacetimes II: Non-static boundaries

We generalize our unique continuation results recently established for a class of linear and nonlinear wave equations □_g?+σ? = 𝒢(?,??) on asymptotically anti-de Sitter (aAdS) spacetimes to aAdS spacetimes admitting nonstatic boundary metrics. The new Carleman estimates established in this setting constitute an essential ingredient in proving unique continuation results for the full nonlinear Einstein equations, which will be addressed in forthcoming papers. Key to the proof is a new geometrically adapted construction of foliations of pseudo-convex hypersurfaces near the conformal boundary.     

Nonparallelism of the Ricci Tensor of Pseudo-cylindric Metrics

We describe examples of metrics in the conformal class [g] on some conformally flat Riemannian manifolds (M,g]. These metrics have a constant scalar curvature and an harmonic curvature with nonparallel Ricci tensor.     

Local dynamics of conformal vector fields

We study pseudo-Riemannian conformal vector fields in the neighborhood of a singularity. For Riemannian manifolds, we prove that if a conformal vector field vanishing at a point x ₀ is not Killing for a metric in the conformal class, then a neighborhood of the singularity x ₀ is conformally flat.     

Compactness results in conformal deformations of Riemannian metrics on manifolds with boundaries

This paper is devoted to the study of a problem arising from a geometric context, namely the conformal deformation of a Riemannian metric to a scalar flat one having constant mean curvature on the boundary. By means of blow-up analysis techniques and the Positive Mass Theorem, we show that on locally conformally flat manifolds with umbilic boundary all metrics stay in a compact set with respect to the C²-norm and the total Leray-Schauder degree of all solutions is equal to -1. Then we deduce from this compactness result the existence of at least one solution to our problem. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 35J60, 53C21, 58G30 Received: 8 June 2001; in final form: 8 July 2002 // Published online: 24 February 2003     

Multiple positive solutions to a singular boundary value problem for a superlinear Emden-Fowler equation

A multiplicity result for the singular ordinary differential equation y^″+λx⁻²yσ=0, posed in the interval (0,1), with the boundary conditions y(0)=0 and y(1)=γ, where σ>1, λ>0 and γ?0 are real parameters, is presented. Using a logarithmic transformation and an integral equation method, we show that there exists Σ^?∈(0,σ/2] such that a solution to the above problem is possible if and only if λγσ−1?Σ^?. For 0<λγσ−1<Σ^?, there are multiple positive solutions, while if γ=(λ⁻¹Σ^?)^1/(σ−1) the problem has a unique positive solution which is monotonic increasing. The asymptotic behavior of y(x) as x→⁰⁺ is also given, which allows us to establish the absence of positive solution to the singular Dirichlet elliptic problem −Δu=d⁻²(x)uσ in Ω, where Ω⊂RN, N?2, is a smooth bounded domain and d(x)=dist(x,∂Ω).