The conformal Killing equation on forms—prolongations and applications

We construct a conformally invariant vector bundle connection such that its equation of parallel transport is a first order system that gives a prolongation of the conformal Killing equation on differential forms. Parallel sections of this connection are related bijectively to solutions of the conformal Killing equation. We construct other conformally invariant connections, also giving prolongations of the conformal Killing equation, that bijectively relate solutions of the conformal Killing equation on k-forms to a twisting of the conformal Killing equation on (k−?)-forms for various integers ?. These tools are used to develop a helicity raising and lowering construction in the general setting and on conformally Einstein manifolds.     

Conformal holonomy of C-spaces, Ricci-flat, and Lorentzian manifolds

The main result of this paper is that a Lorentzian manifold is locally conformally equivalent to a manifold with recurrent lightlike vector field and totally isotropic Ricci tensor if and only if its conformal tractor holonomy admits a 2-dimensional totally isotropic invariant subspace. Furthermore, for semi-Riemannian manifolds of arbitrary signature we prove that the conformal holonomy algebra of a C-space is a Berger algebra. For Ricci-flat spaces we show how the conformal holonomy can be obtained by the holonomy of the ambient metric and get results for Riemannian manifolds and plane waves.     

The Hijazi inequality on conformally parabolic manifolds

We prove the Hijazi inequality, an estimate for Dirac eigenvalues, for complete manifolds of finite volume. Under some additional assumptions on the dimension and the scalar curvature, this inequality is also valid for elements of the essential spectrum. This allows to prove the conformal version of the Hijazi inequality on conformally parabolic manifolds if the spin analog to the Yamabe invariant is positive.     

Conformally parallel G 2 structures on a class of solvmanifolds

Starting from a 6-dimensional nilpotent Lie group N endowed with an invariant SU(3) structure, we construct a homogeneous conformally parallel G₂-metric on an associated solvmanifold. We classify all half-flat SU(3) structures that endow the rank-one solvable extension of N with a conformally parallel G₂ structure. By suitably deforming the SU(3) structures obtained, we are able to describe the corresponding non-homogeneous Ricci-flat metrics with holonomy contained in G₂. In the process we also find a new metric with exceptional holonomy. Received: 20 September     

The analogue of Weyl's conformal curvature tensor in a Michal functional geometry

The purpose of this note is to obtain a set of functionals conformally invariant in a Michal functional geometry. The author is indebted to prof.A. D. Michal for calling his attention to this problem and for helpful suggestions and criticisms in the preparation of this paper.     

Lorentzian Clairaut submersions

We investigate a class of semi-Riemannian submersions satisfying a Lorentzian analogue of the classical Clairaut's relation for surfaces of revolution. We show that a Lorentzian submersion with one-dimensional fibers is Clairaut if and only if the fibers are totally umbilic with a gradient field as the normal curvature vector field. We also investigate the behavior of timelike and null geodesics in Lorentzian Clairaut submersions. In particular, every null geodesic of a Lorentzian Clairaut submersion with one-dimensional fibers projects to a pregeodesic in the base space with respect to a conformally related metric on the base space if and only if the integrability tensor of the submersion vanishes.     

Conformal invariants associated with quadratic differentials

We associate a functional of pairs of simply-connected regions D₂ ? D₁ to any quadratic differential on D₁ with specified singularities. This functional is conformally invariant, monotonic, and negative. Equality holds if and only if the inner domain is the outer domain minus trajectories of the quadratic differential. This generalizes the simply-connected case of results of Z. Nehari [20], who developed a general technique for obtaining inequalities for conformal maps and domain functions from contour integrals and the Dirichlet principle for harmonic functions. Nehari’s method corresponds to the special case that the quadratic differential is of the form (?q)² for a singular harmonic function q on D₁.As an application we give a one-parameter family of monotonic, conformally invariant functionals which correspond to growth theorems for bounded univalent functions. These generalize and interpolate the Pick growth theorems, which appear in a conformally invariant form equivalent to a two-point distortion theorem of W. Ma and D. Minda [16].     

Conformal geometry of surfaces in Lorentzian space forms

We study the conformal geometry of an oriented space-like surface in three-dimensional Lorentzian space forms. After introducing the conformal compactification of the Lorentzian space forms, we define the conformal Gauss map which is a conformally invariant two parameter family of oriented spheres. We use the area of the conformal Gauss map to define the Willmore functional and derive a Bernstein type theorem for parabolic Willmore surfaces. Finally, we study the stability of maximal surfaces for the Willmore functional.Dedicated to Professor T.J. WillmoreSupported by an FPPI Postdoctoral Grant from DGICYT Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Spain 1994 and by a DGICYT Grant No. PB94-0750-C02-02     

On three-dimensional conformally flat quasi-Sasakian manifolds

LetM be a 3-dimensional quasi-Sasakian manifold. On such a manifold, the so-called structure function is defined. With the help of this function, we find necessary and sufficient conditions forM to be conformally flat. Next it is proved that ifM is additionally conformally flat with = const., then (a)M is locally a product ofR and a 2-dimensional Kählerian space of constant Gauss curvature (the cosymplectic case), or (b)M is of constant positive curvature (the non cosymplectic case; here the quasi-Sasakian structure is homothetic to a Sasakian structure). An example of a 3-dimensional quasi-Sasakian structure being conformally flat with nonconstant structure function is also described. For conformally flat quasi-Sasakian manifolds of higher dimensions see [O₁]     

Examples of almost Einstein structures on products and in cohomogeneity one

Almost Einstein manifolds are conformally Einstein up to a scale singularity, in general. This notion comes from conformal tractor calculus. In the current paper we discuss almost Einstein structures on closed Riemannian product manifolds and on 4-manifolds of cohomogeneity one. Explicit solutions are found by solving ordinary differential equations. In particular, we construct three families of closed 4-manifolds with almost Einstein structure corresponding to the boundary data of certain unimodular Lie groups. Two of these families are Bach-flat, but neither (globally) conformally Einstein nor half conformally flat. On products with a 2-sphere we find an exotic family of almost Einstein structures with hypersurface singularity as well.     

Existence of solutions for some fourth-order nonlinear elliptic problems

In this paper, we consider the existence of positive, negative and sign-changing solutions for some fourth order semilinear elliptic boundary value problems. We present new results on invariant sets of the gradient flows of the corresponding variational functionals. The structure of the invariant sets will be built into minimax procedures to construct the sign-changing solutions.     

The Webster scalar curvature problem on the three dimensional CR manifolds

In this paper, we prove some existence results for the Webster scalar curvature problem on the three dimensional CR compact manifolds locally conformally CR equivalent to the unit sphere S³ of C². Our methods are based on the techniques related to the theory of critical points at infinity.     

Systems of sandwich pairs

The variational approach for solving nonlinear problems eventually leads to the search for critical points of related functionals. In case of semibounded functionals, one can look for extrema. Otherwise, one is forced to use other methods. In this paper we apply a new approach which is successful in solving a large class of problems. Applications are given. To Felix Browder on the occasion of his eightieth birthday     

On the geometry of complex ‐spaces

It is known that applying an ‐homothetic deformation to a complex contact manifold whose vertical space is annihilated by the curvature yields a condition which is invariant under ‐homothetic deformations. A complex contact manifold satisfying this condition is said to be a complex ‐space. In this paper, we deal with the questions of Bochner, conformal and conharmonic flatness of complex ‐spaces when , and prove that such kind of spaces cannot be Bochner flat, conformally flat or conharmonically flat.     

Yang-mills equations in 4-dimensional conformally connected manifolds

In this paper on the simplest examples of compact 4-dimensional conformally connected manifolds (real quadrics in a 5-dimensional projective space) we show that the only invariant, which is quadratic with respect to the curvature Φ of the connectivity, is the Yang-Mills functional ε |tr (*Φ Λ Φ)|. We do not know whether the 4-form |tr (*Φ Λ Φ)| is invariant in any 4-dimensional conformally connected manifolds.     

Conformal Operators on Weighted Forms; Their Decomposition and Null Space on Einstein Manifolds

There is a class of Laplacian like conformally invariant differential operators on differential forms ${L^\ell_k}$ which may be considered as the generalisation to differential forms of the conformally invariant powers of the Laplacian known as the Paneitz and GJMS operators. On conformally Einstein manifolds we give explicit formulae for these as factored polynomials in second-order differential operators. In the case that the manifold is not Ricci flat we use this to provide a direct sum decomposition of the null space of the ${L^\ell_k}$ in terms of the null spaces of mutually commuting second-order factors.     

Curvature estimates for the Ricci flow I

In this paper we present several curvature estimates for solutions of the Ricci flow and the modified Ricci flow (including the volume normalized Ricci flow and the normalized Kähler-Ricci flow), which depend on the smallness of certain local \(L^{\frac{n}{2}}\) integrals of the norm of the Riemann curvature tensor |Rm|, where n denotes the dimension of themanifold. These local integrals are scaling invariant and very natural.     

Nash Point Equilibria in the Calculus of Variations

In this paper, the theory of Nash point equilibria for variational functionals including the following topics: existence in convex and non-convex cases, the applications to P. D. E., and the partial regularity, is studied. In the non-convex case, for a class of functionals, it is shown that the non-trivial solutions of the related systems of Euler equations are exactly the local Nash point equilibria and the trivial solution can not be a Nash point equilibrium.     

Nodal type bound states of Schrödinger equations via invariant set and minimax methods

For nonlinear Schrödinger equations in the entire space we present new results on invariant sets of the gradient flows of the corresponding variational functionals. The structure of the invariant sets will be built into minimax procedures to construct nodal type bound state solutions of nonlinear Schrödinger type equations.     

Transformations of locally conformally Kähler manifolds

We consider several transformation groups of a locally conformally Kähler manifold and discuss their inter-relations. Among other results, we prove that all conformal vector fields on a compact Vaisman manifold which is neither locally conformally hyperkähler nor a diagonal Hopf manifold are Killing, holomorphic and that all affine vector fields with respect to the minimal Weyl connection of a locally conformally Kähler manifold which is neither Weyl-reducible nor locally conformally hyperkähler are holomorphic and conformal.