We consider an embedded convex ancient solution $Γ_t$ to the curve shortening flow in $\mathbb{R}^2$. We prove that there are only two possibilities: the family $Γ_t$ is either the family of contracting circles, which is a type I ancient solution, or the family of evolving Angenent ovals, which correspond to a type II ancient solution to the curve shortening flow. We also give a necessary and sufficient curvature condition for an embedded, closed ancient solution to the curve shortening flow to be convex.
We construct an ancient solution to planar curve shortening. The solution is at all times compact and embedded. For $t\ll0$ it is approximated by the rotating Yin-Yang soliton, truncated at a finite angle $α(t) = -t$, and closed off by a small copy of the Grim Reaper translating soliton.
In this paper we classify convex compact ancient solutions to the affine curve shortening flow: namely, any convex compact ancient solution to the affine curve shortening flow must be a shrinking ellipse. The method combines a rescaling argument inspired by \cite{Wang}, affine invariance of the equation and monotonicity of the affine isoperimetric ratio. We will give two proofs. The essential ideas are related, but the first one uses level set represenation of the evolution. The second proof employs Schauder's estimates, and it also provides a new simple proof for the corresponding classificat…
We prove that the only closed, embedded ancient solutions to the curve shortening flow on $\mathbb{S}^2$ are equators or shrinking circles, starting at an equator at time $t=-\infty$ and collapsing to the north pole at time $t=0$. To obtain the result, we first prove a Harnack inequality for the curve shortening flow on the sphere. Then an application of the Gauss-Bonnet, easily allows us to obtain curvature bounds for ancient solutions leading to backwards smooth convergence to an equator. To complete the proof, we use an Aleksandrov reflection argument to show that maximal symmetry is preser…
We construct ancient solutions to Curve Shortening in the plane whose total curvature is uniformly bounded by gluing together an arbitrary chain of given Grim Reapers along their common asymptotes.
We show that the only convex ancient solutions to curve shortening flow are the stationary lines, shrinking circles, Grim Reapers and Angenent ovals, completing the classification initiated by Daskalopoulos, Hamilton and Sesum and X.-J. Wang
Bounds of total curvature and entropy are two common conditions placed on mean curvature flows. We show that these two hypotheses are equivalent for the class of ancient complete embedded smooth planar curve shortening flows, which are one-dimensional mean curvature flows. As an application, we give a short proof of the uniqueness of tangent flow at infinity of an ancient smooth complete non-compact curve shortening flow with finite entropy embedded in $\mathbb{R}^2$.
We classify closed convex $α$-curve shortening flows for sub-affine-critical powers $α\leq \frac{1}{3}$. In addition, we show that closed convex smooth finite entropy $α$-curve shortening flows with $\frac{1}{3}<α$ is a shrinking circle. After normalization, the ancient flows satisfying the above conditions converge exponentially fast to smooth closed convex shrinkers at the backward infinity. In particular, when $α=\frac{1}{k^2-1}$ with $3\leq k \in \mathbb{N}$, the round circle shrinker has non-trivial Jacobi fields, but the ancient flows do not evolve along the Jacobi fields.
Motivated by the limiting behavior of an explicit class of compact ancient curve shortening flows, we prove codimension bounds for ancient mean curvature flows by their tangent flow at $-\infty$, generalizing a theorem for cylinders in [CM19b]. In the case of the $m$-covered circle, we apply this bound to prove a strong rigidity theorem. Furthermore, we extend this paradigm by showing that under the assumption of sufficiently rapid convergence, a compact ancient mean curvature flow is identical to its tangent flow at $-\infty$.
X.-J. Wang proved a series of remarkable results on the structure of convex ancient solutions to mean curvature flow. Some of his results do not appear to be widely known, however, possibly due to the technical nature of his arguments and his exploitation of methods which are not widely used in mean curvature flow. In this expository article, we present Wang's structure theory and some of its consequences. We shall simplify some of Wang's analysis by making use of the monotonicity formula and the differential Harnack inequality, and obtain an important additional structure result by exploiting…
We construct a class of compact ancient solutions to the mean curvature flow in Euclidean space with high codimension. In particular, we construct higher codimensional ancient curve shortening flows. Moreover, we characterize the asymptotic behavior of these solutions. Add on remark: the construction in this paper has been discovered by Altschuler D.-Altschuler S.-Angenent-Wu in [AAAW13].
We consider an ancient solution $g(\cdot,t)$ of the Ricci flow on a compact surface that exists for $t\in (-\infty,T)$ and becomes spherical at time $t=T$. We prove that the metric $g(\cdot,t)$ is either a family of contracting spheres, which is a type I ancient solution, or a Rosenau solution, which is a type II ancient solution.
We consider compact ancient solutions to the three-dimensional Ricci flow which are noncollapsed. We prove that such a solutions is either a family of shrinking round spheres, or it has a unique asymptotic behavior as $t \to -\infty$ which we describe. This analysis applies in particular to the ancient solution constructed by Perelman.
We construct a slingshot, that is a compact, embedded solution to curve shortening flow that comes out of a non compact curve and exists for a finite time.
In this paper, we study the classification of $κ$-noncollapsed ancient solutions to three-dimensional Ricci flow on $S^3$. We prove that such a solution is either isometric to a family of shrinking round spheres, or the Type II ancient solution constructed by Perelman.
We construct new type II ancient compact solutions to the Yamabe flow. Our solutions are rotationally symmetric and converge, as $t \to -\infty$, to a tower of two spheres. Their curvature operator changes sign. We allow two time-dependent parameters in our ansatz. We use perturbation theory, via fixed point arguments, based on sharp estimates on ancient solutions of the approximated linear equation and careful estimation of the error terms which allow us to make the right choice of parameters. Our technique may be viewed as a parabolic analogue of gluing two exact solutions to the rescaled eq…
In this paper we introduce a geometric quantity, the $r$-multiplicity, that controls the length of a smooth curve as it evolves by curve shortening flow. The length estimates we obtain are used to prove results about the level set flow in the plane. If $K$ is locally-connected, connected and compact, then the level set flow of $K$ either vanishes instantly, fattens instantly or instantly becomes a smooth closed curve. If the compact set in question is a Jordan curve $J$, then the proof proceeds by using the $r$-multiplicity to show that if $γ_n$ is a sequence of smooth curves converging unifor…
We address the classification of ancient solutions to the Gauss curvature flow under the assumption that the solutions are contained in a cylinder of bounded cross section. For each cylinder of convex bounded cross-section, we show that there are only two ancient solutions which are asymptotic to this cylinder: the non-compact translating soliton and the compact oval solution obtained by gluing two translating solitons approaching each other from time $-\infty$ from two opposite ends.
In this note, we answer affirmatively the question if a warped product of a compact manifold with a line as an ancient solution to the Ricci flow is trivial. We also consider the global behavior of the Type III warping product Ricci flow.
We construct new ancient compact solutions to the Yamabe flow. Our solutions are rotationally symmetric and converge, as $t \to -\infty$, to two self-similar complete non-compact solutions to the Yamabe flow moving in opposite directions. They are type I ancient solutions.
We construct new ancient compact solutions to the Yamabe flow. Our solutions are rotationally symmetric and converge, as $t \to -\infty$, to two self-similar complete non-compact solutions to the Yamabe flow moving in opposite directions. They are type I ancient solutions.
In [4], we proved that every noncompact ancient $κ$-solution to the Ricci flow in dimension $3$ is either locally isometric to a family of shrinking cylinders, or isometric to the Bryant soliton. In the same paper, we announced that the same method implies that compact ancient $κ$-solutions are rotationally symmetric. In this note we provide the details of this argument.
We prove a comparison theorem for the isoperimetric profiles of simple closed curves evolving by the normalized curve shortening flow: If the isoperimetric profile of the region enclosed by the initial curve is greater than that of some `model' convex region with exactly four vertices and with reflection symmetry in both axes, then the inequality remains true for the isoperimetric profiles of the evolved regions. We apply this using the Angenent solution as the model region to deduce sharp time-dependent upper bounds on curvature for arbitrary embedded closed curves evolving by the normalized …
We prove rigidity theorems for ancient solutions of geometric flows of immersed submanifolds. Specifically, we find pinching conditions on the second fundamental form that characterize the shrinking sphere among compact ancient solutions for the mean curvature flow in codimension greater than one, and for some nonlinear curvature flows of hypersurfaces.
We study properly immersed ancient solutions of the codimension one mean curvature flow in $n$-dimensional Euclidean space, and classify the convex hulls of the subsets of space reached by any such flow. In particular, it follows that any compact convex ancient mean curvature flow can only have a slab, a halfspace or all of space as the closure of its set of reach. The proof proceeds via a bi-halfspace theorem (also known as a wedge theorem) for ancient solutions derived from a parabolic Omori-Yau maximum principle for ancient mean curvature flows.
In this paper, we study the classification of $κ$-noncollapsed ancient solutions to n-dimensional Ricci flow on $S^n$, extending the result in [13] to higher dimensions. We prove that such a solution is either isometric to a family of shrinking round spheres, or the Type II ancient solution constructed by Perelman.
We consider compact noncollapsed ancient solutions to the 3-dimensional Ricci flow that are rotationally and reflection symmetric. We prove that these solutions are either the spheres or they all have unique asymptotic behavior as $t\to-\infty$ and we give their precise asymptotic description. This description applies in particular to the solution constructed by G.Perelman
We prove a general existence theorem for collapsed ancient solutions to the Ricci flow on compact homogeneous spaces and we show that they converge in the Gromov-Hausdorff topology, under a suitable rescaling, to an Einstein metric on the base of a torus fibration. This construction generalizes all previous known examples in the literature.
In this paper, we systemally study the long time behavior of the curve shortening flow in a closed or non-compact complete locally Riemannian symmetric manifold. Assume that we have a global flow. Then we can exhibit a a limit for the global behavior of the flow. In particular, we show the following results. 1). Let $\mathbf{M}$ be a compact locally symmetric space. If the curve shortening flow exists for infinite time, and $$ \lim_{t\to\infty}L(γ_{t})>0, $$ then for every $n>0$, $$ \lim_{t\to \infty}\sup(|\frac{D^{n}T}{\partial s^{n}}|)=0. $$ In particular, the limiting curve exists and is a …
We generalize the ancient solutions of the Ricci flow on certain principal ${\rm SO}(3)$ bundles over compact quaternionic Kähler manifolds constructed by Bakas, Kong, and Ni to certain $RP^3$ fibre bundles over a product of two compact quaternionic Kähler manifolds. The ancient solutions are of Type I, $κ$-noncollapsed, and have positive Ricci curvature. Analogous solutions on even-dimensional non-Kählerian bundle spaces are also constructed.
The main result of this paper is: Given any constant C, there is $(ε,k,L)$ such that if a complete, orientable, noncompact odd-dimensional manifold with bounded positive sectional curvature contains a $(ε,k,L)$-neck, then the asymptotic scalar curvature ratio is bigger or equal to C. As a application we proved that the asymptotic scalar curvature ratio of a complete noncompact ancient Type I-like solution to the Ricci flow with bounded positive sectional curvature on an orientable 3-manifold, is infinity.
We study "flat knot types" of geodesics on compact surfaces M^2. For every flat knot type and any Riemannian metric g we introduce a Conley index associated with the curve shortening flow on the space of immersed curves on M^2. We conclude existence of closed geodesics with prescribed flat knot types, provided the associated Conley index is nontrivial.
This paper concerns with the asymptotic behavior of complete non-compact convex curves embedded in $\mathbb{R}^2$ under the $α$-curve shortening flow for exponents $α>\frac12$. We show that any such curve having in addition its two ends asymptotic to two parallel lines, converges under $α$-curve shortening flow to the unique translating soliton whose ends are asymptotic to the same parallel lines. This is a new result even in the standard case $α=1$, and we prove for all exponents up to the critical case $α>\frac12$.
We construct a new compact convex embedded ancient solution of the $κ^α$ flow in $\mathbb R^2$, $α\in(\frac12,1)$ that lies between two parallel lines. Using this solution we classify all convex ancient solutions of the $κ^α$ flow in $\mathbb R^2$, for $α\in(\frac23,1)$. Moreover, we show that any non-compact convex embedded ancient solution of the $κ^α$ flow in $\mathbb R^2$, $α\in(\frac12,1)$ must be a translating solution.
In this paper, we prove that any non-flat ancient solution to Kähler-Ricci flow with bounded nonnegative bisectional curvature has asymptotic volume ratio zero. We also prove that any gradient shrinking solitons with positive bisectional curvature must be compact. Both results generalize the corresponding earlier results of Perelman in \cite{P1} and \cite{P2}. The results can be applied to study the geometry and function theory of complete Kähler manifolds with nonnegative bisectional curvature via Kähler-Ricci flow. It also implies a compactness theorem on ancient solutions to Kähler-Ricci fl…
It is known from work of Perelman that any finite-time singularity of the Ricci flow on a compact three-manifold is modeled on an ancient $κ$-solution. We prove that the every noncompact ancient $κ$-solution in dimension $3$ is isometric to either the shrinking cylinders (or a quotient thereof), or the Bryant soliton.
We introduce a new geometric flow called the chord shortening flow which is the negative gradient flow for the length functional on the space of chords with end points lying on a fixed submanifold in Euclidean space. As an application, we give a simplified proof of a classical theorem of Lusternik and Schnirelmann (and a generalization by Riede and Hayashi) on the existence of multiple orthogonal geodesic chords. For a compact convex planar domain, we show that any convex chord which is not orthogonal to the boundary would shrink to a point in finite time under the flow.
We construct a compact, convex ancient solution of mean curvature flow in $\mathbb R^{n+1}$ with $O(1)\times O(n)$ symmetry that lies in a slab of width $π$. We provide detailed asymptotics for this solution and show that, up to rigid motions, it is the only compact, convex, $O(n)$-invariant ancient solution that lies in a slab of width $π$ and in no smaller slab.
We study ancient mean curvature flows in $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ whose tangent flow at $-\infty$ is a shrinking cylinder $\mathbb{R}^{k}\times S^{n-k}(\sqrt{2(n-k)|t|})$, where $1\leq k\leq n-1$. We prove that the cylindrical profile function $u$ of these flows have the asymptotics $u(y,ω,τ)= (y^\top Qy -2\textrm{tr}(Q))/|τ| + o(|τ|^{-1})$ as $τ\to -\infty$, where the cylindrical matrix $Q$ is a constant symmetric $k\times k$ matrix whose eigenvalues are quantized to be either 0 or $-\frac{\sqrt{2(n-k)}}{4}$. Compared with the bubble-sheet quantization theorem in $\mathbb{R}^{4}$ obtained by Haslho…
We study solutions of high codimension mean curvature flow defined for all negative times, usually referred to as ancient solutions. We show that any compact ancient solution whose second fundamental form satisfies a certain natural pinching condition must be a family of shrinking spheres. Andrews and Baker have shown that initial submanifolds satisfying this pinching condition, which generalises the notion of convexity, converge to round points under the flow. As an application, we use our result to simplify their proof.
We study the compact noncollapsed ancient convex solutions to Mean Curvature Flow in $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ with $O(1)\times O(n)$ symmetry. We show they all have unique asymptotics as $t\to -\infty$ and we give precise asymptotic description of these solutions. In particular, solutions constructed by White, and Haslhofer and Hershkovits have those asymptotics (in the case of those particular solutions the asymptotics was predicted and formally computed by Angenent).
