Bakry–Emery Curvature Operator and Ricci Flow

In this paper, we introduce some techniques of Bakry–Emery curvature operator to Ricci flow and prove the evolution equation for the Bakry–Emery scalar curvature. As its application, we can easily derive the Perelman’s entropy functional monotonicity formula. We also discuss some gradient estimates of Ricci curvature and L ²– estimates of scalar curvature.Project partially supported by Yumiao Fund of Putian University.     

The scalar curvature flow on <Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis><Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Superscript>—perturbation theorem revisited

For the problem of finding a geometry on S ⁿ , for n≥3, with a prescribed scalar curvature, there is a well-known result which is called the perturbation theorem; it is due to Chang and Yang (Duke Math. J. 64, 27–69, 1991). Their key assumption is that the candidate f for the prescribed scalar curvature is sufficiently near the scalar curvature of the standard metric in the sup norm. It is important to know how large that difference in sup norm can possibly be. Here we consider prescribing scalar curvature problem using the scalar curvature flow.     

On Einstein Hermitian manifolds

We show that every compact Einstein Hermitian surface with constant *–scalar curvature is a K?hler surface. In contrast to the 4-dimensional case, it is shown that there exists a compact Einstein Hermitian (4n + 2)-dimensional manifold with constant *–scalar curvature which is not K?hler.     

On Einstein Hermitian manifolds

We show that every compact Einstein Hermitian surface with constant *–scalar curvature is a K?hler surface. In contrast to the 4-dimensional case, it is shown that there exists a compact Einstein Hermitian (4n + 2)-dimensional manifold with constant *–scalar curvature which is not K?hler. This study is supported by Kangwon National University.     

Interpolating between constrained Li–Yau and Chow–Hamilton Harnack inequalities on a surface

We establish a one-parameter family of Harnack inequalities connecting the constrained trace Li–Yau differential Harnack inequality for the heat equation to the constrained trace Chow–Hamilton Harnack inequality for the Ricci flow on a 2-dimensional closed manifold with positive scalar curvature, and thereby generalize Chow’s interpolated Harnack inequality (J. Partial Diff. Eqs. 11 (1998), 137–140).     

Generalized connected sum construction for scalar flat metrics

In this paper we construct constant scalar curvature metrics on the generalized connected sum M = M₁  \sharp_K  M₂{M = M_1 \, \sharp_K \, M_2} of two compact Riemannian scalar flat manifolds (M ₁, g ₁) and (M ₂, g ₂) along a common Riemannian submanifold (K, g _K ) whose codimension is ≥3. Here we present two constructions: the first one produces a family of “small” (in general nonzero) constant scalar curvature metrics on the generalized connected sum of M ₁ and M ₂. It yields an extension of Joyce’s result for point-wise connected sums in the spirit of our previous issues for nonzero constant scalar curvature metrics. When the initial manifolds are not Ricci flat, and in particular they belong to the (1₊) class in the Kazdan–Warner classification, we refine the first construction in order to produce a family of scalar flat metrics on M. As a consequence we get new solutions to the Einstein constraint equations on the generalized connected sum of two compact time symmetric initial data sets, extending the Isenberg–Mazzeo–Pollack gluing construction.     

Mean curvature flow singularities for mean convex surfaces

We study the evolution by mean curvature of a smooth n–dimensional surface , compact and with positive mean curvature. We first prove an estimate on the negative part of the scalar curvature of the surface. Then we apply this result to study the formation of singularities by rescaling techniques, showing that there exists a sequence of rescaled flows converging to a smooth limit flow of surfaces with nonnegative scalar curvature. This gives a classification of the possible singular behaviour for mean convex surfaces in the case . Received July 11,1997 / Accepted November 14, 1997     

On Stability of Cones in <Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis><Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>+1</Superscript> with Zero Scalar Curvature

In this work we generalize the case of scalar curvature zero the results of Simmons (Ann. Math. 88 (1968), 62–105) for minimal cones in Rⁿ⁺¹. If Mⁿ⁻¹ is a compact hypersurface of the sphere Sⁿ(1) we represent by C(M)ε the truncated cone based on M with center at the origin. It is easy to see that M has zero scalar curvature if and only if the cone base on M also has zero scalar curvature. Hounie and Leite (J. Differential Geom. 41 (1995), 247–258) recently gave the conditions for the ellipticity of the partial differential equation of the scalar curvature. To show that, we have to assume n ⩾ 4 and the three-curvature of M to be different from zero. For such cones, we prove that, for n ≤slant 7 there is an ε for which the truncate cone C(M)_ε is not stable. We also show that for n ⩾ 8 there exist compact, orientable hypersurfaces Mⁿ⁻¹ of the sphere with zero scalar curvature and S₃ different from zero, for which all truncated cones based on M are stable. Mathematics Subject Classifications (2000): 53C42, 53C40, 49F10, 57R70.     

A Gamma-convergence approach to the Cahn–Hilliard equation

We study the asymptotic dynamics of the Cahn–Hilliard equation via the “Gamma-convergence” of gradient flows scheme initiated by Sandier and Serfaty. This gives rise to an H ¹-version of a conjecture by De Giorgi, namely, the slope of the Allen–Cahn functional with respect to the H ⁻¹-structure Gamma-converges to a homogeneous Sobolev norm of the scalar mean curvature of the limiting interface. We confirm this conjecture in the case of constant multiplicity of the limiting interface. Finally, under suitable conditions for which the conjecture is true, we prove that the limiting dynamics for the Cahn–Hilliard equation is motion by Mullins–Sekerka law. Partially supported by a Vietnam Education Foundation graduate fellowship.     

Asymptotically hyperbolic metrics on the unit ball with horizons

In this paper, we construct a family of three-dimensional asymptotically hyperbolic manifolds with horizons and with scalar curvature equal to −6. The manifolds we construct can be arbitrarily close to anti-de Sitter-Schwarzschild manifolds at infinity. Hence, the mass of our manifolds can be very large or very small. The main arguments we use in this paper are gluing methods which are used by Miao in (Proc Am Math Soc 132(1):217–222, 2004).     

An optimal parabolic estimate and its applications in prescribing scalar curvature on some open manifolds with Ricci \ge 0

By establishing an optimal comparison result on the heat kernel of the conformal Laplacian on open manifolds with nonnegative Ricci curvature, (a) we show that many manifolds with positive scalar curvature do not possess conformal metrics with scalar curvature bounded below by a positive constant; (b) we identify a class of functions with the following property: If the manifold has a scalar curvature in this class, then there exists a complete conformal metric whose scalar curvature is any given function in this class. This class is optimal in some sense; (c) we have identified all manifolds with nonnegative Ricci curvature, which are “uniformly” conformal to manifolds with zero scalar curvature. Even in the Euclidean case, we obtain a necessary and sufficient condition under which the main existence results in [Ni1] and [KN] on prescribing nonnegative scalar curvature will hold. This condition had been sought in several papers in the last two decades. Received: 11 November 1998 / Revised: 7 April 1999     

Variational properties of the Gauss–Bonnet curvatures

The Gauss–Bonnet curvature of order 2k is a generalization to higher dimensions of the Gauss–Bonnet integrand in dimension 2k, as the scalar curvature generalizes the two dimensional Gauss–Bonnet integrand. In this paper, we evaluate the first variation of the integrals of these curvatures seen as functionals on the space of all Riemannian metrics on the manifold under consideration. An important property of this derivative is that it depends only on the curvature tensor and not on its covariant derivatives. We show that the critical points of this functional once restricted to metrics with unit volume are generalized Einstein metrics and once restricted to a pointwise conformal class of metrics are metrics with constant Gauss–Bonnet curvature.     

Some local eigenvalue estimates involving curvatures

We first establish a local Faber–Krahn isoperimetric comparison in terms of scalar curvature pinching. Secondly we derive estimates of Cheeger constants related to the Dirichlet and Neumann problems via the (relative) isoperimetric profiles which allow us to obtain, in particular, lower bounds for first non-zero eigenvalues of the problem of Dirichlet and Neumann. These estimates involve scalar curvature and mean curvature respectively.     

On a sharp volume estimate for gradient Ricci solitons with scalar curvature bounded below

In this note, we obtain a sharp volume estimate for complete gradient Ricci solitons with scalar curvature bounded below by a positive constant. Using Chen-Yokota’s argument we obtain a local lower bound estimate of the scalar curvature for the Ricci flow on complete manifolds. Consequently, one has a sharp estimate of the scalar curvature for expanding Ricci solitons; we also provide a direct (elliptic) proof of this sharp estimate. Moreover, if the scalar curvature attains its minimum value at some point, then the manifold is Einstein.     

On curvature and feedback classification of two-dimensional optimal control systems

The goal of this paper is to extend the classical notion of Gaussian curvature of a two-dimensional Riemannian surface to two-dimensional optimal control systems with scalar input using Cartan’s moving frame method. This notion was already introduced by A. A. Agrachev and R. V. Gamkrelidze for more general control systems using a purely variational approach. Further, we will see that the “control” analogue of Gaussian curvature reflects similar intrinsic properties of the extremal flow. In particular, if the curvature is negative, arbitrarily long segments of extremals are locally optimal. Finally, we will define and characterize flat control systems. __________ Translated from Sovremennaya Matematika i Ee Prilozheniya (Contemporary Mathematics and Its Applications), Vol. 33, Suzdal Conference-2004, Part 1, 2005.     

Four-dimensional manifolds with degenerate self-dual Weyl curvature operator

It is shown that any four-dimensional Walker metric of nowhere zero scalar curvature has a natural almost para-Hermitian structure. In contrast to the Goldberg–Sachs theorem, if this structure is self-dual and *-Einstein, it is symplectic but not necessarily integrable. This is due to the non-diagonalizability of the self-dual Weyl conformal curvature tensor.      

A Construction of Constant Scalar Curvature Manifolds with Delaunay-type Ends

It has been showed by Byde (Indiana Univ. Math. J. 52(5):1147–1199, 2003) that it is possible to attach a Delaunay-type end to a compact nondegenerate manifold of positive constant scalar curvature, provided it is locally conformally flat in a neighborhood of the attaching point. The resulting manifold is noncompact with the same constant scalar curvature. The main goal of this paper is to generalize this result. We will construct a one-parameter family of solutions to the positive singular Yamabe problem for any compact non-degenerate manifold with Weyl tensor vanishing to sufficiently high order at the singular point. If the dimension is at most 5, no condition on the Weyl tensor is needed. We will use perturbation techniques and gluing methods.     

On the conditions to control curvature tensors of Ricci flow

An important problem in the study of Ricci flow is to find the weakest conditions that provide control of the norm of the full Riemannian curvature tensor. In this article, supposing (M ⁿ , g(t)) is a solution to the Ricci flow on a Riemmannian manifold on time interval [0, T), we show that L^\fracn+22{L^\frac{n+2}{2}} norm bound of scalar curvature and Weyl tensor can control the norm of the full Riemannian curvature tensor if M is closed and T < ∞. Next we prove, without condition T < ∞, that C ⁰ bound of scalar curvature and Weyl tensor can control the norm of the full Riemannian curvature tensor on complete manifolds. Finally, we show that to the Ricci flow on a complete non-compact Riemannian manifold with bounded curvature at t = 0 and with the uniformly bounded Ricci curvature tensor on M ⁿ  × [0, T), the curvature tensor stays uniformly bounded on M ⁿ  × [0, T). Hence we can extend the Ricci flow up to the time T. Some other results are also presented.