Eigenvalues and suspension structure of compact Riemannian orbifolds with positive Ricci curvature

Let M be a compact n-dimensional Riemannian orbifold of Ricci curvature ≥n−1. We prove that for 1 ≤k≤n, the k ^th nonzero eigenvalue of the Laplacian on M is equal to the dimension n if and only if M is isometric to the k-times spherical suspension over the quotient S ^{n − k} }Γ of the unit (n−k)-sphere by a finite group Γ⊂O(n−k+1) acting isometrically on S ^{n − k} ⊂ℝ ^{n − k +}. Received: 21 September 1998 / Revised version: 23 February 1999