This is a survey on the global theory of constant mean curvature surfaces in Riemannian homogeneous 3-manifolds. These ambient 3-manifolds include the eight canonical Thurston 3-dimensional geometries, i.e. R3, H3, S3, H2 \times R, S2 \times R, the Heisenberg space Nil3, the universal cover of PSL2(R) and the Lie group Sol3. We will focus on the problems of classifying compact CMC surfaces and entire CMC graphs in these spaces. A collection of important open problems of the theory is also presented.
We construct new explicit proper biharmonic functions on the $3$-dimensional Thurston geometries $\Sol$, $\Nil$, $\SL2$, $H^2\times\rn$ and $S^2\times\rn$.
For any positive natural number $r\in\N^+$ we construct new explicit proper $r$-harmonic functions on the celebrated $3$-dimensional Thurston geometries $\Sol$, $\Nil$, $\SL2$, $\H^2\times\rn$ and $\s^2\times\rn$.
We find analogues of the Willmore functional for each of the Thurston geometries with 4-dimensional isometry group such that the CMC-spheres in these geometries are critical points of these functionals.
We classify pairs $(M,G)$ where $M$ is a $3$--dimensional simply connected smooth manifold and $G$ a Lie group acting on $M$ transitively, effectively with compact isotropy group.
We describe algorithms that produce accurate real-time interactive in-space views of the eight Thurston geometries using ray-marching. We give a theoretical framework for our algorithms, independent of the geometry involved. In addition to scenes within a geometry $X$, we also consider scenes within quotient manifolds and orbifolds $X / Γ$. We adapt the Phong lighting model to non-euclidean geometries. The most difficult part of this is the calculation of light intensity, which relates to the area density of geodesic spheres. We also give extensive practical details for each geometry.
In this paper, we study harmonic Riemannian submersions from 3-dimensional geometries using the ( generalized) integrability data associated to an orthonormal frame natural to a Riemannian submersion. We give complete classifications of harmonic Riemannian submersions from Thurston's 3-dimensional geometries, 3-dimensional BCV spaces and Berger sphere into a surface. We also give some explicit constructions of these harmonic Riemannian submersions.
We consider Gromov-Thurston examples of negatively curved n-manifolds which do not admit metrics of constant sectional curvature. We show that for each n some of the Gromov-Thurston manifolds admit strictly convex real-projective structures.
We discuss existence and classification of totally umbilic surfaces in the model geometries of Thurston and the Berger spheres. We classify such surfaces in $H^2 \times R$, $S^2 \times R$ and the Sol group. We prove nonexistence in the Berger spheres and in the remaining model geometries other than the space forms.
We derive the Weierstrass (or spinor) representation for surfaces in three-dimensional Lie groups Nil, \tilde{SL}_2, and Sol with Thurston's geometries and establish the generating equations for minimal surfaces in these groups. By using the spectral properties of the corresponding Dirac operators we find analogs of the Willmore functional for surfaces in these geometries.
We classify the $5$-dimensional homogeneous geometries in the sense of Thurston. The present paper (part 2 of 3) classifies those in which the linear isotropy representation is either irreducible or trivial. The $5$-dimensional geometries with irreducible isotropy are the irreducible Riemannian symmetric spaces, while those with trivial isotropy are simply-connected solvable Lie groups of the form $\mathbb{R}^3 \rtimes \mathbb{R}^2$ or $N \rtimes \mathbb{R}$ where $N$ is nilpotent.
We classify the 5-dimensional homogeneous geometries in the sense of Thurston. The present paper (part 3 of 3) classifies those in which the linear isotropy representation is nontrivial but reducible. Most of the resulting geometries are products. Some interesting examples include a countably infinite family of inequivalent geometries diffeomorphic to $S^3 \times S^2$; an uncountable family in which only a countable subfamily admits compact quotients; and the non-maximal geometry SO(4)/SO(2) realized by two distinct maximal geometries.
We use the intrinsic area to define a distance on the space of homothety classes of convex bodies in the $n$-dimensional Euclidean space, which makes it isometric to a convex subset of the infinite dimensional hyperbolic space. The ambient Lorentzian structure is an extension of the intrinsic area form of convex bodies, and Alexandrov--Fenchel Inequality is interpreted as the Lorentzian reversed Cauchy--Schwarz Inequality. We deduce that the space of similarity classes of convex bodies has a proper geodesic distance with curvature bounded from below by $-1$ (in the sense of Alexandrov). In dim…
In the context of Thurstons geometrisation program we address the question which compact aspherical 3-manifolds admit Riemannian metrics of nonpositive curvature. We show that non-geometric Haken manifolds generically, but not always, admit such metrics. More precisely, we prove that a Haken manifold with, possibly empty, boundary of zero Euler characteristic admits metrics of nonpositive curvature if the boundary is non-empty or if at least one atoroidal component occurs in its canonical topological decomposition. Our arguments are based on Thurstons Hyperbolisation Theorem. We give examples …
We study 3-dimensional non-Riemannian Lorentz geometries, i.e. compact locally homogeneous Lorentz 3-manifolds with non-compact (local) isotropy group. One result is that, up to a finite cover, all such manifolds admit Lorentz metrics of (non-positive) constant sectionnal curvature. If the geometry is maximal, then the metric has constant sectionnal curvature, or is a left invariant metric on the Heisenberg group or the Sol group. These geometries, on each of the latter two groups are characterized by having a non-compact isotropy without being flat. Recall, for the need of his formulation of …
This paper is the first of a 3-part series that classifies the 5-dimensional Thurston geometries. The present paper (part 1 of 3) summarizes the general classification, giving the full list, an outline of the method, and some illustrative examples. This includes phenomena that have not appeared in lower dimensional geometries, such as an uncountable family of geometries.
We construct infinite families of regular normal Cartan geometries with nonvanishing curvature and essential automorphisms on closed manifolds for many higher rank parabolic model geometries. To do this, we use particular elements of the kernel of the Kostant Laplacian to construct homogeneous Cartan geometries of the desired type, giving a global realization of an elegant local construction due to Kruglikov and The, and then modify these homogeneous geometries to make their base manifolds compact. As a demonstration, we apply the construction to quaternionic contact structrures of mixed signa…
For a homotopically energy-minimizing map $u: N^3\to S^1$ on a compact, oriented $3$-manifold $N$ with boundary, we establish an identity relating the average Euler characteristic of the level sets $u^{-1}\{θ\}$ to the scalar curvature of $N$ and the mean curvature of the boundary $\partial N$. As an application, we obtain some natural geometric estimates for the Thurston norm on $3$-manifolds with boundary, generalizing results of Kronheimer-Mrowka and the second named author from the closed setting. By combining these techniques with results from minimal surface theory, we obtain moreover a …
We generalize the concept of affine locally symmetric spaces for parabolic geometries. We discuss mainly $|1|$--graded geometries and we show some restrictions on their curvature coming from the existence of symmetries. We use the theory of Weyl structures to discuss more interesting $|1|$--graded geometries which can carry a symmetry in a point with nonzero curvature. More concretely, we discuss the number of different symmetries which can exist at the point with nonzero curvature.
We give a geometric derivation of Branson's Q-curvature in terms of the ambient metric associated with conformal structures; it naturally follows from the ambient metric construction of conformally invariant operators and can be applied to a large class of invariant operators. This procedure can be also applied to CR geometry and gives a CR analog of the Q-curvature; it then turns out that the Q-curvature gives the coefficient of the logarithmic singularity of the Szego kernel of 3-dimensional CR manifolds.
In the present paper we study $S^2 \times R$ and $H^2 \times R$ geometries, which are homogeneous Thurston 3-geometries. We analyse the interior angle sums of geodesic triangles in both geometries and prove, that in $S^2 \times R$ space it can be larger or equal than $π$ and in $H^2 \times R$ space the angle sums can be less or equal than $π$. In our work we will use the projective model of $S^2 \times R$ and $H^2 \times R$ geometries described by E. Molnár in \cite{M97}.
On a convex body in a Euclidean space, we introduce a new variational formulation for its Funk metric, a Finsler metric compatible with the tautological Finsler structure of the convex body. We generalize the metric on Teichmuller spaces with the Weil-Petersson distance function. A set of similarities the resulting metric structure shares with Thurston's asymmetric metric is noted.
We derive formulas for the mean curvature of associative 3-folds, coassociative 4-folds, and Cayley 4-folds in the general case where the ambient space has intrinsic torsion. Consequently, we are able to characterize those G2-structures (resp., Spin(7)-structures) for which every associative 3-fold (resp. coassociative 4-fold, Cayley 4-fold) is a minimal submanifold. In the process, we obtain new obstructions to the local existence of coassociative 4-folds in G2-structures with torsion.
Each sub-Riemannian geometry with bracket generating distribution enjoys a background structure determined by the distribution itself. At the same time, those geometries with constant sub-Riemannian symbols determine a unique Cartan connection leading to their principal invariants. We provide cohomological description of the structure of these curvature invariants in the cases where the background structure is one of the parabolic geometries. As an illustration, constant curvature models are discussed for certain sub-Riemannian geometries.
We prove that a totally umbilical biharmonic surface in any $3$-dimensional Riemannian manifold has constant mean curvature. We use this to show that a totally umbilical surface in Thurston's 3-dimensional geometries is proper biharmonic if and only if it is a part of $S^2(1/\sqrt{2})$ in $S^3$. We also give complete classifications of constant mean curvature proper biharmonic surfaces in 3-dimensional geometries and in 3-dimensional Bianchi-Cartan-Vranceanu spaces, and a complete classifications of proper biharmonic Hopf cylinders in 3-dimensional Bianchi-Cartan-Vranceanu spaces.
We study the classification of immersed constant mean curvature (CMC) spheres in the homogeneous Riemannian 3-manifold Sol_3, i.e., the only Thurston 3-dimensional geometry where this problem remains open. Our main result states that, for every H>1/(\sqrt{3}), there exists a unique (up to left translations) immersed CMC H sphere S_H in Sol_3 (Hopf-type theorem). Moreover, this sphere S_H is embedded, and is therefore the unique (up to left translations) compact embedded CMC H surface in Sol_3 (Alexandrov-type theorem). The uniqueness parts of these results are also obtained for all real number…
This paper analyses the convergence and degeneration of sequences of metrics on a 3-manifold, and relations of such with Thurston's geometrization conjecture. The sequences are minimizing sequences for a certain (optimal) scalar-curvature type functional and their degeneration is related to the sphere and torus decompositions of the 3-manifold under certain conditions.
We consider Hilbert and Funk geometries on a strongly convex domain in the Euclidean space. We show that, with respect to the Lebesgue measure on the domain, Hilbert (resp. Funk) metric has the bounded (resp. constant negative) weighted Ricci curvature. As one of corollaries, these metric measure spaces satisfy the curvature-dimension condition in the sense of Lott, Sturm and Villani.
By a result of W.~P. Thurston, the moduli space of flat metrics on the sphere with $n$ cone singularities of prescribed positive curvatures is a complex hyperbolic orbifold of dimension $n-3$. The Hermitian form comes from the area of the metric. Using geometry of Euclidean polyhedra, we observe that this space has a natural decomposition into real hyperbolic convex polyhedra of dimensions $n-3$ and $\leq \frac{1}{2}(n-1)$. By a result of W.~Veech, the moduli space of flat metrics on a compact surface with cone singularities of prescribed negative curvatures has a foliation whose leaves have a…
The classic 2pi-Theorem of Gromov and Thurston constructs a negatively curved metric on certain 3-manifolds obtained by Dehn filling. By Geometrization, any such manifold admits a hyperbolic metric. We outline a program using cross curvature flow to construct a smooth one-parameter family of metrics between the "2pi-metric" and the hyperbolic metric. We make partial progress in the program, proving long-time existence, preservation of negative sectional curvature, curvature bounds, and integral convergence to hyperbolic for the metrics under consideration.
This paper is a continuation of I, (same title), and is concerned with the existence, regularity and degeneration of metrics minimizing natural curvature functionals on the space of metrics on 3-manifolds. The functionals chosen are designed to be optimal w.r.t. the issue of geometrization of the underlying 3-manifold, in the sense of Thurston. Two of the main results are Theorems B and C, in comparison with Theorem A of I.
We study vector fields generating a local flow by automorphisms of a parabolic geometry with higher order fixed points. We develop general tools extending the techniques of [1], [2], and [3]. We apply these tools to almost Grassmannian, almost quaternionic, and contact parabolic geometries, including CR structures, to obtain descriptions of the possible dynamics of such flows near the fixed point and strong restrictions on the curvature. In some cases, we can show vanishing of the curvature on a nonempty open set. Deriving consequences for a specific geometry entails evaluating purely algebrai…
This note is about the interplay between the almost-hermitian and Riemannian geometries of a manifold. These geometries can be seen to interact through curvature. The main result is an obstruction equation to the integrability of almost-complex structures orthogonal with respect to Riemannian metrics with constrained sectional curvature. Several geometric consequences ensue, such as a formula for the norm of the Levi-Civita covariant derivative of a hypothetical orthogonal complex structure. Our results lead to a partial recovery of the well-known fact that the round $6$-sphere $S^6$ is not he…
This short note is a mostly expository article examining negatively curved three-manifolds. We look at some rigidity properties related to isometric embeddings into Minkowski space. We also review the Cross Curvature Flow (XCF) as a tool to study the space of negatively curved metrics on hyperbolic three-manifolds, the largest and least understood class of model geometries in Thurston's Geometrisation. The relationship between integrability and embedability yields interesting insights, and we show that solutions with fixed Einstein volume are precisely the integrable solutions, answering a que…
A geometric framework for metrics of maximal acceleration which is applicable to large proper accelerations is discussed, including a theory of connections associated with the geometry of maximal acceleration. In such a framework it is shown that the uniform bound on the proper maximal acceleration implies an uniform bound for certain bilinear combinations of the Riemannian curvature components in the domain of the spacetime where curvature is finite.
In this paper, we generalize our results in \cite{GX3} to triangulated surfaces in hyperbolic background geometry, which means that all triangles can be embedded in the standard hyperbolic space. We introduce a new discrete Gaussian curvature by dividing the classical discrete Gauss curvature by an area element, which could be taken as the area of the hyperbolic disk packed at each vertex. We prove that the corresponding discrete Ricci flow converges if and only if there exists a circle packing metric with zero curvature. We also prove that the flow converges if the initial curvatures are all …
We study the geometry of the foliation by constant Gaussian curvature surfaces $(Σ_k)_k$ of a hyperbolic end, and how it relates to the structures of its boundary at infinity and of its pleated boundary. First, we show that the Thurston and the Schwarzian parametrizations are the limits of two families of parametrizations of the space of hyperbolic ends, defined by Labourie in 1992 in terms of the geometry of the leaves $Σ_k$. We give a new description of the renormalized volume using the constant curvature foliation. We prove a generalization of McMullen's Kleinian reciprocity theorem, which …
In this paper, we introduce two discrete curvature flows, which are called $α$-flows on two and three dimensional triangulated manifolds. For triangulated surface $M$, we introduce a new normalization of combinatorial Ricci flow (first introduced by Bennett Chow and Feng Luo \cite{CL1}), aiming at evolving $α$ order discrete Gauss curvature to a constant. When $αχ(M)\leq0$, we prove that the convergence of the flow is equivalent to the existence of constant $α$-curvature metric. We further get a necessary and sufficient combinatorial-topological-metric condition, which is a generalization of T…
A classic problem with intriguing implications at the level of both applied differential geometry and theoretical physics is dealt with in this short work: Is there any criterion in order to decide whether a pseudo-Riemannian space can be locally described using curvature scalars solely? Surprisingly enough, this question is susceptible of a very simple and elegant answer. In order to avoid unnecessary complexity, the analysis is restricted to local rather than global considerations, without any loss of not only the generality but also the insights to the initial problem.
In a paper of Menasco and Reid, it is conjectured that there exist no hyperbolic knots in S^3 for which the complement contains a closed embedded totally geodesic surface. In this note, we show that one can get "as close as possible" to a counter-example. Specifically, we construct a sequence of hyperbolic knots {K_n} with complements containing closed embedded essential surfaces having principal curvatures converging to zero as n tends to infinity. We also construct a family of two-component links for which the complements contain closed embedded totally geodesic surfaces of arbitrarily large…
We prove that sufficiently collapsed, closed and irreducible three-dimensional Alexandrov spaces are modeled on one of the eight three-dimensional Thurston geometries. This extends a result of Shioya and Yamaguchi, originally formulated for Riemannian manifolds, to the Alexandrov setting.
In this paper, we prove the global rigidity of sphere packings on 3-dimensional manifolds. This is a 3-dimensional analogue of the rigidity theorem of Andreev-Thurston and was conjectured by Cooper and Rivin. We also prove a global rigidity result using a combinatorial scalar curvature introduced by Ge and the author.
