I prove the two-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian version of the projective Obata conjecture stating that on a closed manifold different from the round sphere every projective (i.e., geodesic-preserving) vector field is Killing.
We describe all pseudo-Riemannian metrics on closed surfaces whose geodesic flows admit nontrivial integrals quadratic in momenta. As an application, we solve the Beltrami problem on closed surfaces, prove the nonexistence of quadratically-superintegrable metrics of nonconstant curvature on closed surfaces, and prove the two-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian version of the projective Obata conjecture.
We solve two classical conjectures by showing that if an action of a connected Lie group on a complete Riemannian manifold preserves the geodesics (considered as unparameterized curves), then the metric has constant positive sectional curvature, or the group acts by affine transformations.
We report on some aspects and recent progress in certain problems in the sub-Riemannian CR and quaternionic contact (QC) geometries. The focus are the corresponding Yamabe problems on the round spheres, the Lichnerowicz-Obata first eigenvalue estimates, and the relation between these two problems. A motivation from the Riemannian case highlights new and old ideas which are then developed in the settings of Iwasawa sub-Riemannian geometries.
We study invariant metrics on Ledger-Obata spaces $F^m/\mathrm{diag}(F)$. We give the classification and an explicit construction of all naturally reductive metrics, and also show that in the case $m=3$, any invariant metric is naturally reductive. We prove that a Ledger-Obata space is a geodesic orbit space if and only if the metric is naturally reductive. We then show that a Ledger-Obata space is reducible if and only if it is isometric to the product of Ledger-Obata spaces (and give an effective method of recognising reducible metrics), and that the full connected isometry group of an irred…
We prove a lower bound for the first eigenvalue of the sub-Laplacian on sub-Riemannian manifolds with transverse symmetries. When the manifold is of H-type, we obtain a corresponding rigidity result: If the optimal lower bound for the first eigenvalue is reached, then the manifold is equivalent to a 1 or a 3-Sasakian sphere.
Two Kähler metrics on a complex manifold are called c-projectively equivalent if their $J$-planar curves coincide. These curves are defined by the property that the acceleration is complex proportional to the velocity. We give an explicit local description of all pairs of c-projectively equivalent Kähler metrics of arbitrary signature and use this description to prove the classical Yano-Obata conjecture: we show that on a closed connected Kähler manifold of arbitrary signature, any c-projective vector field is an affine vector field unless the manifold is $CP^n$ with (a multiple of) the Fubini…
We prove the classical Yano-Obata conjecture by showing that the connected component of the group of holomorph-projective transformations of a closed, connected Riemannian Kähler manifold consists of isometries unless the metric has constant positive holomorphic curvature.
In a complete Riemannian manifold $(M, g)$ if the hessian of a real valued function satisfies some suitable conditions then it restricts the geometry of $(M, g)$. In this paper we characterize all compact rank-1 symmetric spaces, as those Riemannian manifolds $(M, g)$ admitting a real valued function $u$ such that the hessian of $u$ has atmost two eigenvalues $-u$ and $-{{u+1}\over 2}$, under some mild hypothesis on $(M, g)$. This generalises a well known result of Obata which characterizes all round spheres.
We prove the Finsler analog of the conformal Lichnerowicz-Obata conjecture showing that a complete and essential conformal vector field on a non-Riemannian Finsler manifold is a homothetic vector field of a Minkowski metric.
We prove Obata's rigidity theorem for metric measure spaces that satisfy a Riemannian curvature-dimension condition. Additionally, we show that a lower bound $K$ for the generalized Hessian of a sufficiently regular function $u$ holds if and only if $u$ is $K$-convex. A corollary is also a rigidity result for higher order eigenvalues.
We prove a quaternionic contact versions of the Obata's sphere theorems. We show that if the first positive eigenvalue of the sub-Laplacian on a compact qc manifold of dimension bigger than seven takes the smallest possible value then, up to a homothety of the qc structure, the manifold is qc equivalent to the standard 3-Sasakian sphere. We also give a version of the theorem on non-compact qc manifold which is complete with respect to the associated Riemannian metric using the existence of a function with traceless horizontal Hessian. A qc version of the Liouville theorem is shown for qc-confo…
We correct a mistake in Shen Yibing, Yu Yaoyong, On Projectively Related Randers Metrics, International Journal of Mathematics 19}(2008), no. 5, 503--520, and prove the natural generalization of the projective Lichnerowicz-Obata conjecture for Randers metrics.
Inspired by the Lichnerowicz-Obata theorem for the first eigenvalue of the Laplacian, we define a new family of invariants $\{Ω_k(g)\}$ for closed Riemannian manifolds. The value of $Ω_k(g)$ delicately reflects the spherical part of the manifold. Indeed, $Ω_1(g)$ and $Ω_2(g)$ characterize the standard sphere.
We extend the Gallot-Tanno Theorem to closed pseudo-Riemannian manifolds. It is done by showing that if the cone over a manifold admits a parallel symmetric $(0,2)-$tensor then it is Riemannian. Applications of this result to the existence of metrics with distinct Levi-Civita connections but having the same unparametrized geodesics and to the projective Obata conjecture are given. We also apply our result to show that the holonomy group of a closed $(O(p+1,q),S^{p,q})$-manifold does not preserve any nondegenerate splitting of $\R^{p+1,q}$.
We prove an important partial case of the pseudo-Riemannian version of the projective Lichnerowicz conjecture stating that a complete manifold admitting an essential group of projective transformations is the round sphere (up to a finite cover).
A vector field on a Kähler manifold is called c-projective if its flow preserves the J-planar curves. We give a complete local classification of Kähler real 4-dimensional manifolds that admit an essential c-projective vector field. An important technical step is a local description of 4-dimensional c-projectively equivalent metrics of arbitrary signature. As an application of our results we prove the natural analog of the classical Yano-Obata conjecture in the pseudo-Riemannian 4-dimensional case.
We study the solvability of the equation for the smooth function F, H=-k F g, on a geodesically complete pseudo-Riemannian manifold (M,g), H being the covariant Hessian of F. A similar equation was considered by Obata and Gallot in the Riemannian case for positive values of the constant k; the result was that the manifold must be the canonical sphere. In this generalized setting we obtain a range of possibilities, depending on the sign of k, the signature of the metric and the value of a certain first integral of the equation: the manifold is shown to be of constant sectional curvature or a wa…
We develop in detail the theory of c-projective geometry, a natural analogue of projective differential geometry adapted to complex manifolds. We realise it as a type of parabolic geometry and describe the associated Cartan or tractor connection. A Kaehler manifold gives rise to a c-projective structure and this is one of the primary motivations for its study. The existence of two or more Kaehler metrics underlying a given c-projective structure has many ramifications, which we explore in depth. As a consequence of this analysis, we prove the Yano-Obata conjecture for complete Kaehler manifold…
It is understood now that all projective (and conformal) invariants of Riemannian metrics can be found by a transparent construction based on representation theory. So this article with a partial and quite cumbersome construction of projective invariants become obsolete.
We use reduced homogeneous coordinates to study Riemannian geometry of the octonionic (or Cayley) projective plane. Our method extends to the para-octonionic (or split octonionic) projective plane, the octonionic projective plane of indefinite signature, and the hyperbolic dual of the octonionic projective plane; we discuss these manifolds in the later sections of the paper.
We study the six-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian spaces with two time-like coordinates that admit non-homothetic infinitesimal projective transformations. The metrics are manifestly obtained and the projective group properties are determined. We also find a generic defining of projective motion in the 6-dimensional rigid h-space.
We give a new characterisation of the unparametrised geodesics, or distinguished curves, for affine, pseudo-Riemannian, conformal, and projective geometry. This is a type of moving incidence relation. The characterisation is used to provide a very general theory and construction of quantities that are necessarily conserved along the curves. The formalism immediately yields explicit formulae for these curve first integrals. The usual role of Killing tensors and conformal Killing tensors is recovered as a special case, but the construction shows that a significantly larger class of equation solu…
The degree of mobility of a (pseudo-Riemannian) Kähler metric is the dimension of the space of metrics h-projectively equivalent to it. We prove that a metric on a closed connected manifold can not have the degree of mobility $\ge 3$ unless it is essentially the Fubini-Study metric, or the h-projective equivalence is actually the affine equivalence. As the main application we prove an important special case of the classical conjecture attributed to Obata and Yano, stating that a closed manifold admitting an essential group of h-projective transformations is $(CP(n), g_{Fubini-Study})$ (up to a…
Motivated by Gray's work on tube formulae for complex submanifolds of complex projective space equipped with the Fubini-Study metric, Riemannian foliations of projective space are studied. We prove that there are no complex Riemannian foliations of any open subset of $\mathbb{P}^n$ of codimension one. As a consequence there is no Riemannian foliation of the projective plane by Riemann surfaces, even locally. We determine how a complex submanifold may arise as an exceptional leaf of a non-trivial singular Riemannian foliation of maximal dimension. Gray's tube formula is applied to obtain a volu…
Equigeodesic vectors for homogeneous Riemannian submersions
Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística(Uberlandia联邦大学数学与统计学院);Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Departamento de Matemática(Maringá州立大学数学系);IMECC-Unicamp, Departamento de Matemática(坎皮纳斯州立大学计算科学与数学研究所数学系)
It is well known that pseudo-Riemannian metrics in the projective class of a given torsion free affine connection can be obtained from (and are equivalent to) the solutions of a certain overdetermined projectively invariant differential equation. This equation is a special case of a so-called first BGG equation. The general theory of such equations singles out a subclass of so-called normal solutions. We prove that non-degerate normal solutions are equivalent to pseudo-Riemannian Einstein metrics in the projective class and observe that this connects to natural projective extensions of the Ein…
Consider a smooth manifold $M$ equipped with a bracket generating distribution $D$. Two sub-Riemannian metrics on $(M,D)$ are said to be projectively (resp. affinely) equivalent if they have the same geodesics up to reparameterization (resp. up to affine reparameterization). A sub-Riemannian metric $g$ is called rigid (resp. conformally rigid) with respect to projective/affine equivalence, if any sub-Riemannian metric which is projectively/affinely equivalent to $g$ is constantly proportional to $g$ (resp. conformal to $g$). In the Riemannian case the local classification of projectively and a…
H. Weyl in 1921 demonstrated that for a connected manifold of dimension greater than $1$, if two Riemannian metrics are conformal and have the same geodesics up to a reparametrization, then one metric is a constant scaling of the other one. In the present paper, we investigate the analogous property for sub-Riemannian metrics. In particular, we prove that the analogous statement, called the Weyl projective rigidity, holds either in real analytic category for all sub-Riemannian metrics on distributions with a specific property of their complex abnormal extremals, called minimal order, or in smo…
By considering the projectivized spectrum of the Jacobi operator, we introduce the concept of projective Osserman manifold in both the affine and in the pseudo-Riemannian settings. If M is an affine projective Osserman manifold, then the modified Riemannian extension metric on the cotangent bundle is both spacelike and timelike projective Osserman. Since any rank 1 symmetric space is affine projective Osserman, this provides additional information concerning the cotangent bundle of a rank 1 Riemannian symmetric space with the modified Riemannian extension metric. We construct other examples of…
In this paper, it is proved that a connected 3-dimensional Riemannian manifold or a closed connected semi-Riemannian manifold $M^n$($n>1$) admitting a projective vector field with a non-linearizable singularity is projectively flat.
The expression (-1/u) times the Hessian of u transforms as a symmetric (0,2) tensor under projective coordinate transformations, so long as u transforms as a section of a certain line bundle. On a locally projectively flat manifold M, the section u can be regarded as a metric potential analogous to the local potential in Kahler geometry. If M is compact and u is a negative section of the dual of the tautological bundle whose Hessian is positive definite, then M is projectively equivalent to a quotient of a bounded convex domain in R^n. The same is true if M has a boundary on which u=0. This th…
We studied rules of transformations of Christoffel symbols under third type almost geodesic mappings in this paper. From this research, we obtained some new invariants of these mappings. These invariants are analogies of Thomas projective parameter and Weyl projective tensor.
We present a uniform framework generalising and extending the classical theories of projective differential geometry, c-projective geometry, and almost quaternionic geometry. Such geometries, which we call \emph{projective parabolic geometries}, are abelian parabolic geometries whose flat model is an R-space $G\cdot\mathfrak{p}$ in the infinitesimal isotropy representation $\mathbb{W}$ of a larger self-dual symmetric R-space $H\cdot\mathfrak{q}$. We also give a classification of projective parabolic geometries with $H\cdot\mathfrak{q}$ irreducible which, in addition to the aforementioned class…
On any proper convex domain in real projective space there exists a natural Riemannian metric, the Blaschke metric. On the other hand, distances between points can be measured in the Hilbert metric. Using techniques of optimal control, we provide inequalities lower bounding the Riemannian length of the line segment joining two points of the domain by the Hilbert distance between these points, thus strengthening a result of Tholozan. Our estimates are valid for a whole class of Riemannian metrics on convex projective domains, namely those induced by convex non-degenerate centro-affine hypersurf…
In this paper we develop new methods of study of generalized normal homogeneous Riemannian manifolds. In particular, we obtain a complete classification of generalized normal homogeneous Riemannian metrics on spheres. We prove that for any connected (almost effective) transitive on $S^n$ compact Lie group $G$, the family of $G$-invariant Riemannian metrics on $S^n$ contains generalized normal homogeneous but not normal homogeneous metrics if and only if this family depends on more than one parameters. Any such family (that exists only for $n=2k+1$) contains a metric $g_{\can}$ of constant sect…
The projective curvature tensor $P$ is invariant under a geodesic preserving transformation on a semi-Riemannian manifold. It is well known that $P$ is not a generalized curvature tensor and hence it possesses different geometric properties than other generalized curvature tensors. The main object of the present paper is to study some semisymmetric type and pseudosymmetric type curvature restricted geometric structures due to projective curvature tensor. The reduced pseudosymmetric type structures for various Walker type conditions are deduced and the existence of Venzi space is ensured. It is…
A projective geometry is an equivalence class of torsion free connections sharing the same unparametrised geodesics; this is a basic structure for understanding physical systems. Metric projective geometry is concerned with the interaction of projective and pseudo-Riemannian geometry. We show that the BGG machinery of projective geometry combines with structures known as Yang-Mills detour complexes to produce a general tool for generating invariant pseudo-Riemannian gauge theories. This produces (detour) complexes of differential operators corresponding to gauge invariances and dynamics. We sh…
We prove that there do not exist odd-dimensional stable compact minimal immersions in the product of two complex projective spaces. We also prove that the only stable compact minimal immersions in the product of a quaternionic projective space with any other Riemannian manifold are the products of quaternionic projective subspaces with compact stable minimal immersions of the second manifold in the Riemmanian product. These generalize similar results of the second-named author of immersions with low dimensions or codimensions to immersions with arbitrary dimensions. In addition, we prove that …
Suppose $(X_n)$ is a sequence of positive-dimensional smooth projective complete intersections over $\mathbb{F}_q$ with dimensions bounded from above and with characteristic zero lifts $(\tilde{X}_n)$ to smooth projective geometrically connected varieties. Suppose each complex variety $\tilde{X}^{an}_n$ has (underlying real manifold equipped with) a Riemannian metric $g_n$ of sectional curvature at least $-κ_n^2$, $κ_n\geq 0$, and diameter at most $D_n$. In this note, we show that if \[\lim_{n\rightarrow\infty}\min\{d:X_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d})\neq\emptyset\}=+\infty,\] then $κ_nD_n\rightarrow+\inf…
The "dancing metric" is a pseudo-riemannian metric $\pmb{g}$ of signature $(2,2)$ on the space $M^4$ of non-incident point-line pairs in the real projective plane $\mathbb{RP}^2$. The null-curves of $(M^4,\pmb{g})$ are given by the "dancing condition": the point is moving towards a point on the line, about which the line is turning. We establish a dictionary between classical projective geometry (incidence, cross ratio, projective duality, projective invariants of plane curves...) and pseudo-riemannian 4-dimensional conformal geometry (null-curves and geodesics, parallel transport, self-dual n…
An $(α,β)$-manifold $(M,F)$ is a Finsler manifold with the Finsler metric $F$ being defined by a Riemannian metric $α$ and $1$-form $β$ on the manifold $M$. In this paper, we classify $n$-dimensional $(α,β)$-manifolds (non-Randers type) which are positively complete and locally projectively flat. We show that the non-trivial class is that $M$ is homeomorphic to the $n$-sphere $S^n$ and $(S^n,F)$ is projectively related to a standard spherical Riemannian manifold, and then we obtain some special geometric properties on the geodesics and scalar flag curvature of $F$ on $S^n$, especially when $F$…
Two pseudo-Riemannian metrics are called projectively equivalent if their unparametrized geodesics coincide. The degree of mobility of a metric is the dimension of the space of metrics that are projectively equivalent to it. We give a complete list of possible values for the degree of mobility of Riemannian and Lorentzian Einstein metrics on simply connected manifolds, and describe all possible dimensions of the space of essential projective vector fields.
One says that a smooth manifold M is a pseudo-Riemannian manifold of signature (p,q) if the tangent bundle TM is equipped with a smooth non-degenerate symmetric inner product g of signature (p,q). Similarly one says that M is an affine manifold if TM is equipped with a torsion free connection. One says g is Osserman if the eigenvalues of the Jacobi operator are constant on the pseudo-sphere bundles of unit timelike and spacelike vectors. We extend this concept from the pseudo-Riemannian to the affine setting to define the notion of a projectively Osserman manifold. This notion is the focus of …
We calculate the equivariant index formula for an infinite dimensional Clifford module canonically associated to any Riemannian manifold. It encompasses the fractional index formula of the projective Dirac operator by Mathai--Melrose--Singer.
Two Kaehler metrics on one complex manifold are said to be c-projectively equivalent if their J-planar curves, i.e., curves defined by the property that their acceleration is complex proportional to their velocity, coincide. The degree of mobility of a Kaehler metric is the dimension of the space of metrics that are c-projectively equivalent to it. We give the list of all possible values of the degree of mobility of simply connected 2n-dimensional Riemannian Kaehler manifolds. We also describe all such values under the additional assumption that the metric is Einstein. As an application, we de…
In this paper we prove that the holonomy group of a simply connected locally projectively flat Finsler manifold of constant curvature is a finite dimensional Lie group if and only if it is flat or it is Riemannian.
We prove that the next possible dimension after the maximal $n^2+2n$ for the Lie algebra of local projective symmetries of a metric on a manifold of dimension $n>1$ is $n^2-3n+5$ if the signature is Riemannian or $n=2$, $n^2-3n+6$ if the signature is Lorentzian and $n>2$, and $n^2-3n+8$ elsewise. We also prove that the Lie algebra of local affine symmetries of a metric has the same submaximal dimensions (after the maximal $n^2+n$) unless the signature is Riemannian and $n=3,4$, in which case the submaximal dimension is $n^2-3n+6$.