On the negative case of the Singular Yamabe Problem

Let (M, g) be a compact Riemannian manifold of dimension n ≥3, and let Γ be a nonempty closed subset of M. The negative case of the Singular Yamabe Problem concerns the existence and behavior of a complete metric g on M∖Γ that has constant negative scalar curvature and is pointwise conformally related to the smooth metric g. Previous results have shown that when Γ is a smooth submanifold (with or without boundary) of dimension d, there exists such a metric if and only if . In this paper, we consider a more general class of closed sets and show the existence of a complete conformai metric ĝ with constant negative scalar curvature which depends on the dimension of the tangent cone to Γ at every point. Specifically, provided Γ admits a nice tangent cone at p, we show that when the dimension of the tangent cone to Γ at p is less than then there cannot exist a negative Singular Yamabe metric ĝ on M∖Γ.     

Prescribing scalar and boundary mean curvature on the three dimensional half sphere

We consider the problem of prescribing the scalar curvature and the boundary mean curvature of the standard half-three sphere, by deforming conformally its standard metric. Using blow-up analysis techniques and minimax arguments, we prove some existence and compactness results.     

Compact gradient shrinking Ricci solitons with positive curvature operator

In this article, we first derive several identities on a compact shrinking Ricci soliton. We then show that a compact gradient shrinking soliton must be Einstein, if it admits a Riemannian metric with positive curvature operator and satisfies an integral inequality. Furthermore, such a soliton must be of constant curvature.     

Small excess and Ricci curvature

It is proved that a Riemanniann-manifold with Ricci curvature ≥ (n − 1) and a lower injectivity radius bound is a sphere provided the diameter is sufficiently close to π. The author was partially supported by the NSF and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.     

Isoscattering deformations for complete manifolds of negative curvature

We construct continuous families of nonisometric metrics on simply connected manifolds of dimension n ≥ 9which have the same scattering phase, the same resolvent resonances, and strictly negative sectional curvatures. This situation contrasts sharply with the case of compact manifolds of negative curvature, where Guillemin/Kazhdan, Min-Oo, and Croke/Sharafutdinov showed that there are no nontrivial isospectral deformations of such metrics.     

Parallel connections over symmetric spaces

Let M be a simply connected Riemannian symmetric space, with at most one flat direction. We show that every Riemannian (or unitary) vector bundle with parallel curvature over M is an associated vector bundle of a canonical principal bundle, with the connection inherited from the principal bundle. The problem of finding Riemannian (or unitary) vector bundles with parallel curvature then reduces to finding representations of the structure group of the canonical principal bundle.     

Homogeneous spaces of curvature bounded below

We prove that every locally connected quotient G/H of a locally compact, connected, first countable topological group G by a compact subgroup H admits a G-invariant inner metric with curvature bounded below. Every locally compact homogeneous space of curvature bounded below is isometric to such a space. These metric spaces generalize the notion of Riemannian homogeneous space to infinite dimensional groups and quotients which are never (even infinite dimensional) manifolds. We study the geometry of these spaces, in particular of non-negatively curved homogeneous spaces. Dedicated to the memory of A. D. Alexandrov     

Some existence and nonexistence theorems for compact graphs of constant mean curvature with boundary in parallel planes

Given H≥0 and bounded convex curves α₁, ...,⇌_n, α in the plane z=0 bounding domains D₁, …, D_n, D, respectively, with if i ∈ j and with D_i ⊂ D, we obtain several results proving the existence of a constanth depending only on H and on the geometry of the curves α_i, α such that the Dirichlet problem for the constant mean curvature H equation: where may accept or not a solution.     

Space-time formulation of Harnack inequalities for curvature flows of hypersurfaces

We consider the motion of hypersurfaces in Riemannian manifolds by their curvature vectors. We show that the Harnack quadratic is an affine second fundamental form of the space-time track of the hypersurface. Given a solution to the Ricci flow, we show that with respect to an appropriate metric on space-time, the space-slices evolve by mean curvature flow. This enables us to identify the Harnack quadratic for the mean curvature flow with the trace Harnack quadratic for the Ricci flow.     

On the kernel of the product formula on symmetric spaces

In this article, we study the regularity properties of the density of the measure intervening in the product formula for the spherical functions on symmetric spaces of noncompact type. We also give a geometric construction of its support S = a(e^X K e^Y) where e^a(g) is the abelian part in the Cartan decomposition of g. Using spherical Fourier theory, an expression for the kernel is given under certain conditions. Our approach also leads to some interesting conclusions for the kernel of the Abel transform.     

Anderson-Cheeger limits of smooth Riemannian manifolds,and other Gromov-Hausdorff limits

We establish further regularity of the C^α and H^1,p limits of smooth, n-dimensional Riemannian manifolds with a lower bound on Ricci tensor and injectivity radius, and an upper bound on volume, first considered in [1]. We use this extra regularity to show that such a limit is a nonbranching geodesic space, as defined in [10], and to construct a variant of a geodesic flow for such a limit. We contrast the behavior of some slightly more singular limits.     

Adapted complex structures in a neighborhood of an isotropic embedding

Let (X, ω) be a symplectic manifold and ι: M ? X an isotropic embedding, ι*ω = 0. The isotropie embedding theorem gives a local normal form of X in a neighborhood of M, in particular a natural potential α of ω, ?dα = ω. Now, given certain geometrical structures on M and on the symplectic normal bundle of M, in particular inducing a natural energy momentum function H in a neighborhood of M, we construct a natural complex structure J in a neighborhood of M satisfying certain initial conditions associated to the given initial data along M and satisfying the equation (in J): d^c H = α. This generalizes a theorem of Guillemin-Stenzel and Lempert-Szöke in the Lagrangean case.     

Local volume estimate for manifolds with<Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis><Superscript>2</Superscript>-bounded curvature

We obtain a local volume growth for complete, noncompact Riemannian manifolds with small integral bounds and with Bach tensor having finite L² norm in dimension 4.     

Mean curvature one surfaces in hyperbolic space, and their relationship to minimal surfaces in Euclidean space

We describe local similarities and global differences between minimal surfaces in Euclidean 3-space and constant mean curvature 1 surfaces in hyperbolic 3-space. We also describe how to solve global period problems for constant mean curvature 1 surfaces in hyperbolic 3-space, and we give an overview of recent results on these surfaces. We include computer graphics of a number of examples.     

An exotic sphere with positive curvature almost everywhere

In this article we show that there is an exotic sphere with positive sectional curvature almost everywhere. In 1974 Gromoll and Meyer found a metric of nonnegative sectional on an exotic 7-sphere. They showed that the metric has positive curvature at a point and asserted, without proof, that the metric has positive sectional curvature almost everywhere [4]. We will show here that this assertion is wrong. In fact, the Gromoll-Meyer sphere has zero curvatures on an open set of points. Never the less, its metric can be perturbed to one that has positive curvature almost everywhere.     

Entropy and reduced distance for Ricci expanders

Perelman has discovered two integral quantities, the shrinker entropy W and the (backward) reduced volume, that are monotone under the Ricci flow ∂_gij/∂t = − 2R_ij and constant on shrinking solitons. Tweaking some signs, we find similar formulae corresponding to the expanding case. The expanding entropy W₊ is monotone on any compact Ricci flow and constant precisely on expanders; as in Perelman, it follows from a differential inequality for a Harnack-like quantity for the conjugate heat equation, and leads to functionals μ₊ and v₊. The forward reduced volume θ₊ is monotone in general and constant exactly on expanders. A natural conjecture asserts that g(t)/t converges as t → ∞ to a negative Einstein manifold in some weak sense (in particular ignoring collapsing parts). If the limit is known a-priori to be smooth and compact, this statement follows easily from any monotone quantity that is constant on expanders; these include vol(g)/t^n/2 (Hamilton) and -λ (Perelman), as well as our new quantities. In general, we show that, if vol(g) grows like t^n/2(maximal volume growth) then W⁺, θ⁺ and -λ remain bounded (in their appropriate ways) for all time. We attempt a sharp formulation of the conjecture.     

Hyper-Lagrangian submanifolds of Hyperkähler manifolds and mean curvature flow

In this article, we define a new class of middle dimensional submanifolds of a Hyperkähler manifold which contains the class of complex Lagrangian submanifolds, and show that this larger class is invariant under the mean curvature flow. Along the flow, the complex phase map satisfies the generalized harmonic map heat equation. It is also related to the mean curvature vector via a first order differential equation. Moreover, we proved a result on nonexistence of Type I singularity.     

Equilibrium solutions to generalized motion by mean curvature

In this paper we consider viscosity equilibria to the mean curvature level set flow with a Dirichlet condition. The main result shows that almost every level set of an equilibrium solution is analytic off of a singular set of Hausdorff dimension at most n − 8 and that these level sets are stationary and stable with respect to the area functional. A key tool developed is a maximum principle for solutions to obstacle problems where the obstacle consists of (viscosity) minimal surfaces. Convergence to equilibrium as t → ∞ is also established for the associated initial-boundary value problem.     

Length minimizing geodesics and the length spectrum of Riemannian two-step nilmanifolds

In the first part of this article, we prove an explicit lower bound on the distance to the cut point of an arbitrary geodesic in a simply connected two-step nilpotent Lie group G with a lieft invariant metric. As a result, we obtaine a lower bound on the injectivity radius of a simply connected two-step nilpotent Lie group with a left invariant metric. We use this lower bound to determine the form of certain length minimizing geodesics from the identity to elements in the center of G. We also give an example of a two-step nilpotent Lie group G such that along most geodesics in this group, the cut point and the first conjugate point do not coincide. In the second part of this article, we examine the relation between the Laplace spectrum and the length spectrum on nilmanifolds by showing that a method developed by Gordon and Wilson for constructing families of isospectral two-step nilmanifolds necessarily yields manifolds with the same length spectrum. As a consequence, all known methods for constructing families of isospectral two-step nilmanifolds necessarily yield manifolds with the same length spectrum. In memory of Robert Brooks