Recently, in [49], a new definition for lower Ricci curvature bounds on Alexandrov spaces was introduced by the authors. In this article, we extend our research to summarize the geometric and analytic results under this Ricci condition. In particular, two new results, the rigidity result of Bishop-Gromov volume comparison and Lipschitz continuity of heat kernel, are obtained.
In this paper, we introduce a new notion for lower bounds of Ricci curvature on Alexandrov spaces, and extend Cheeger-Gromoll splitting theorem and Cheng's maximal diameter theorem to Alexandrov spaces under this Ricci curvature condition.
We study closed three-dimensional Alexandrov spaces with a lower Ricci curvature bound in the $\mathsf{CD}^*(K,N)$ sense, focusing our attention on those with positive or nonnegative Ricci curvature. First, we show that a closed three-dimensional $\mathsf{CD}^*(2,3)$-Alexandrov space must be homeomorphic to a spherical space form or to the suspension of $\mathbb{R}P^2$. We then classify closed three-dimensional $\mathsf{CD}^*(0,3)$-Alexandrov spaces.
In this paper we prove that in the class of metric measure spaces with Alexandrov curvature bounded from below the Riemannian curvature-dimension condition $RCD(K,N)$ with $K\in \mathbb{R}$ and $N\in [1,\infty)$ is preserved under doubling and gluing constructions.
Under the definition of Ricci curvature bounded below for Alexandrov spaces introduced by Zhang-Zhu, we generalize a result by Colding that an n dimentional manifold with Ricci curvature greater or equal to n minus 1 and volume close to that of the unit n sphere is close (in the Gromov-Hausdorff distance) to the sphere, from the case of Riemannian manifolds to the case of Alexandrov spaces, with an additional assumption, roughly speaking, that the rough volume of the set of short cut points is small, following the basic idea in the Riemannian case with necessary modifications because of the on…
In this paper, we show existence and uniqueness of Ricci flow whose initial condition is a compact Alexandrov surface with curvature bounded from below. This requires a weakening of the notion of initial condition which is able to deal with a priori non-Riemannian metric spaces. As a by-product, we obtain that the Ricci flow of a surface depends smoothly on Gromov-Hausdorff perturbations of the initial condition.
In this paper, we establish a Bochner type formula on Alexandrov spaces with Ricci curvature bounded below. Yau's gradient estimate for harmonic functions is also obtained on Alexandrov spaces.
We consider an infinitesimal version of the Bishop-Gromov relative volume comparison condition as generalized notion of Ricci curvature bounded below for Alexandrov spaces. We prove a Laplacian comparison theorem for Alexandrov spaces under the condition. As an application we prove a topological splitting theorem.
Under an infinitesimal version of the Bishop-Gromov relative volume comparison condition for a measure on an Alexandrov space, we prove a topological splitting theorem of Cheeger-Gromoll type. As a corollary, we prove an isometric splitting theorem for Riemannian manifolds with singularities of nonnegative (Bakry-Emery) Ricci curvature.
Here I show compatibility of two definition of generalized curvature bounds --- the lower bound for sectional curvature in the sense of Alexandrov and lower bound for Ricci curvature in the sense of Lott--Villani--Sturm.
We prove generalized lower Ricci curvature bounds for warped products over complete Finsler manifolds. On the one hand our result covers a theorem of Bacher and Sturm concerning euclidean and spherical cones. On the other hand it can be seen in analogy to a result of Bishop and Alexander in the setting of Alexandrov spaces with curvature bounded from below. For the proof we combine techniques developed in these papers. Because the Finsler product metric can degenerate we regard a warped product as metric measure space that is in general neither a Finsler manifold nor an Alexandrov space again …
In this note, we prove that positive scalar curvature can pass to three dimensional Ricci limit spaces of non-negative Ricci curvature when it splits off a line. As a corollary, we obtain an optimal Bonnet-Myers type upper bound. Moreover, we obtain a similar statement in all dimensions for Alexandrov spaces of non-negative curvature.
We prove a Lipschitz-Volume rigidity theorem for the non-collapsed Gromov-Hausdorff limits of manifolds with Ricci curvature bounded from below. This is a counterpart of the Lipschitz-Volume rigidity in Alexandrov geometry.
We derive several vanishing theorems for genera under almost nonnegative Ricci curvature and infinite fundamental group, which includes Todd genus, $\widehat{A}$-genus, elliptic genera and Witten genus. A vanishing theorem of Euler characteristic number for almost nonnegatively curved Alexandrov spaces is also proved.
We prove generalized lower Ricci bounds for Euclidean and spherical cones over complete Riemannian manifolds. These cones are regarded as complete metric measure spaces. In general, they will be neither manifolds nor Alexandrov spaces. We show that the Euclidean cone over an n-dimensional Riemannian manifold whose Ricci curvature is bounded from below by n-1 satisfies the curvature-dimension condition CD(0; n+1) and that the spherical cone over the same manifold fulfills the curvature-dimension condition CD(n; n+1). More generally, for each N > 1 we prove that the condition CD(N-1;N) for a wei…
Distance functions of metric spaces with lower curvature bound, by definition, enjoy various metric inequalities; triangle comparison, quadruple comparison and the inequality of Lang-Schroeder-Sturm. The purpose of this paper is to study the extremal cases of these inequalities and to prove rigidity results. The spaces which we shall deal with here are Alexandrov spaces which possibly have infinite dimension and are not supposed to be locally compact.
Perelman's doubling theorem asserts that the metric space obtained by gluing along their boundaries two copies of an Alexandrov space with curvature $\geq κ$ is an Alexandrov space with the same dimension and satisfying the same curvature lower bound. We show that this result cannot be extended to metric measure spaces satisfying synthetic Ricci curvature bounds in the $\mathrm{MCP}$ sense. The counterexample is given by the Grushin half-plane, which satisfies the $\mathrm{MCP}(0,N)$ if and only if $N\geq 4$, while its double satisfies the $\mathrm{MCP}(0,N)$ if and only if $N\geq 5$.
We prove that, given an $RCD^{*}(K,N)$-space $(X,d,m)$, then it is possible to $m$-essentially cover $X$ by measurable subsets $(R_{i})_{i\in \mathbb{N}}$ with the following property: for each $i$ there exists $k_{i} \in \mathbb{N}\cap [1,N]$ such that $m\llcorner R_{i}$ is absolutely continuous with respect to the $k_{i}$-dimensional Hausdorff measure. We also show that a Lipschitz differentiability space which is bi-Lipschitz embeddable into a euclidean space is rectifiable as a metric measure space, and we conclude with an application to Alexandrov spaces.
We consider Ricci flow invariant cones C in the space of curvature operators lying between nonnegative Ricci curvature and nonnegative curvature operator. Assuming some mild control on the scalar curvature of the Ricci flow, we show that if a solution to Ricci flow has its curvature operator which satsisfies R+εI \in C at the initial time, then it satisfies R +KεI \in C on some time interval depending only on the scalar curvature control. This allows us to link Gromov-Hausdorff convergence and Ricci flow convergence when the limit is smooth and R + I \in C along the sequence of initial conditi…
On a Riemannian metric-measure space, we establish an Alexandrov-Bakelman-Pucci type measure estimate connecting Bakry-Émery Ricci curvature lower bound, modified Laplacian and the measure of certain special sets. We apply this estimate to prove Harnack inequalities for the modified Laplacian operator and fully non-linear operators. These inequalities seem not available in the literature; And our proof, solely based on the ABP estimate, does not involve any Sobolev inequalities nor gradient estimate. We also propose a question regarding the characterization of Ricci lower bound by the Harnack …
In this article, we will use the harmonic mean curvature flow to prove a new class of Alexandrov-Fenchel type inequalities for strictly convex hypersurfaces in hyperbolic space in terms of total curvature, which is the integral of Gaussian curvature on the hypersurface. We will also use the harmonic mean curvature flow to prove a new class of geometric inequalities for horospherically convex hypersurfaces in hyperbolic space. Using these new Alexandrov-Fenchel type inequalities and the inverse mean curvature flow, we obtain an Alexandrov-Fenchel inequality for strictly convex hypersurfaces in …
We give a definition of convergence of differential of Lipschitz functions with respect to measured Gromov-Hausdorff topology. As their applications, we give a characterization of harmonic functions with polynomial growth on asymptotic cones of manifolds with nonnegative Ricci curvature and Euclidean volume growth, and distributional Laplacian comparison theorem on limit spaces of Riemannian manifolds.
Let $(M,g)$ be a smooth Riemannian manifold and $\mathsf{G}$ a compact Lie group acting on $M$ effectively and by isometries. It is well known that a lower bound of the sectional curvature of $(M,g)$ is again a bound for the curvature of the quotient space, which is an Alexandrov space of curvature bounded below. Moreover, the analogous stability property holds for metric foliations and submersions. The goal of the paper is to prove the corresponding stability properties for synthetic Ricci curvature lower bounds. Specifically, we show that such stability holds for quotients of $\mathsf{RCD}^{…
A goal in network science is the geometrical characterization of complex networks. In this direction, we have recently introduced Forman's discretization of Ricci curvature to the realm of undirected networks. Investigation of this edge-centric network measure, Forman-Ricci curvature, in diverse model and real-world undirected networks revealed that the curvature measure captures several aspects of the organization of undirected complex networks. However, many important real-world networks are inherently directed in nature, and the definition of the Forman-Ricci curvature for undirected networ…
In this essay, we discuss the notion of optimal transport on geodesic measure spaces and the associated (2-)Wasserstein distance. We then examine displacement convexity of the entropy functional on the space of probability measures. In particular, we give a detailed proof that the Lott-Villani-Sturm notion of generalized Ricci bounds agree with the classical notion on smooth manifolds. We also give the proof that generalized Ricci bounds are preserved under Gromov-Hausdorff convergence. In particular, we examine in detail the space of probability measures over the interval, $P(X)$ equipped wit…
We study decreasing rearrangements of functions defined on (possibly non-smooth) metric measure spaces with Ricci curvature bounded below by $K>0$ and dimension bounded above by $N\in (1,\infty)$ in a synthetic sense, the so called $CD(K,N)$ spaces. We first establish a Polya-Szego type inequality stating that the $W^{1,p}$-Sobolev norm decreases under such a rearrangement and apply the result to show sharp spectral gap for the $p$-Laplace operator with Dirichlet boundary conditions (on open subsets), for every $p\in (1,\infty)$. This extends to the non-smooth setting a classical result of Bér…
We prove that if $(X,\mathsf{d},\mathfrak{m})$ is a metric measure space with $\mathfrak{m}(X)=1$ having (in a synthetic sense) Ricci curvature bounded from below by $K>0$ and dimension bounded above by $N\in [1,\infty)$, then the classic Lévy-Gromov isoperimetric inequality (together with the recent sharpening counterparts proved in the smooth setting by E. Milman for any $K\in \mathbb{R}$, $N\geq 1$ and upper diameter bounds) hold, i.e. the isoperimetric profile function of $(X,\mathsf{d},\mathfrak{m})$ is bounded from below by the isoperimetric profile of the model space. Moreover, if equal…
We prove in a simple and coordinate-free way the equivalence bteween the classical definitions of the mass or the center of mass of an asymptotically flat manifold and their alternative definitions depending on the Ricci tensor and conformal Killing fields. This enables us to prove an analogous statement in the asymptotically hyperbolic case.
The goal of the paper is four-fold. In the setting of non-smooth spaces with Ricci curvature lower bounds (more precisely RCD(K,N) metric measure spaces): - we develop an intrinsic theory of Laplacian bounds in viscosity sense and in a pointwise, heat flow related, sense, showing their equivalence also with Laplacian bounds in distributional sense; - relying on these tools, we establish a PDE principle relating lower Ricci curvature bounds to the preservation of Laplacian lower bounds under the evolution via the $p$-Hopf-Lax semigroup, for general exponents $p\in[1,\infty)$. This principle adm…
In this article we introduce a notion of normalized angle for Lorentzian pre-length spaces. This concept allows us to prove some equivalences to the definition of timelike curvature bounds from below for Lorentzian pre-length spaces. Specifically, we establish some comparison theorems known as the local Lorentzian version of the Toponogov theorem and the Alexandrov convexity property. Finally, as an application we obtain a first variation Formula for non-negatively curved globally hyperbolic Lorentzian length spaces.
We define the Ricci curvature, as a measure, for certain singular torsion-free connections on the tangent bundle of a manifold. The definition uses an integral formula and vector-valued half-densities. We give relevant examples in which the Ricci measure can be computed. In the time dependent setting, we give a weak notion of a Ricci flow solution on a manifold.
We survey some recent work using Ricci flow to create a class of local definitions of weak lower scalar curvature bounds that is well defined for $C^0$ metrics. We discuss several properties of these definitions and explain some applications of this approach to questions regarding uniform convergence of metrics with scalar curvature bounded below. Finally, we consider the relationship between this approach and some other generalized notions of lower scalar curvature bounds.
In this paper we propose a class of local definitions of weak lower scalar curvature bounds that is well defined for $C^0$ metrics. We show the following: that our definitions are stable under greater-than-second-order perturbation of the metric, that there exists a reasonable notion of a Ricci flow starting from $C^0$ initial data which is smooth for positive times, and that the weak lower scalar curvature bounds are preserved under evolution by the Ricci flow from $C^0$ initial data.
We define the Ricci curvature on simplicial complexes by modifying the definition of the Ricci curvature on graphs, and we prove the upper and lower bounds of the Ricci curvature. These properties are generalizations of previous studies. Moreover, we obtain an estimate of the eigenvalues of the Laplacian on simplicial complexes using the Ricci curvature.
For an embedded submanifold $Σ\subset\mathbb{R}^{N}$, Belkin and Niyogi showed that one can approximate the Laplacian operator using heat kernels. Using a definition of coarse Ricci curvature derived by iterating Laplacians, we approximate the coarse Ricci curvature of submanifolds $Σ$ in the same way. For this purpose, we derive asymptotics for the approximation of the Ricci curvature proposed in [AW19]. Specifically, we prove Proposition 3.2 in [AW19].
There are two primary goals to this paper. In the first part of the paper we study smooth metric measure spaces (M^n,g,e^{-f}dv_g) and give several ways of characterizing bounds -Kg\leq \Ric+\nabla^2f\leq Kg on the Ricci curvature of the manifold. In particular, we see how bounded Ricci curvature on M controls the analysis of path space P(M) in a manner analogous to how lower Ricci curvature controls the analysis on M. In the second part of the paper we develop the analytic tools needed to in order to use these new characterizations to give a definition of bounded Ricci curvature on general me…
We give the definition of $L^p$-convergence of tensor fields with respect to the Gromov-Hausdorff topology and several fundamental properties of the convergence. We apply this to establish a Bochner-type inequality which keeps the term of Hessian on the Gromov-Hausdorff limit space of a sequence of Riemannian manifolds with a lower Ricci curvature bound and to give a geometric explicit formula for the Dirichlet Laplacian on a limit space defined by Cheeger-Colding. We also prove a continuity of the first eigenvalues of the p-Laplacian with respect to the Gromov-Hausdorff topology.
We define a notion of a measured length space X having nonnegative N-Ricci curvature, for N finite, or having infinity-Ricci curvature bounded below by K, for K a real number. The definitions are in terms of the displacement convexity of certain functions on the associated Wasserstein space P_2(X) of probability measures. We show that these properties are preserved under measured Gromov-Hausdorff limits. We give geometric and analytic consequences.
We introduce a natural definition of the renormalized volume of a 4-dimensional Ricci-flat ALE space. We then prove that the renormalized volume is always less or equal than zero, with equality if and only if the ALE space is isometric to its asymptotic cone. Currently the only known examples of 4-dimensional Ricci-flat ALE spaces are Kronheimer's gravitational instantons and their quotients, which are also known to be the only possible examples of special holonomy. We calculate the renormalized volume of these spaces in terms of Kronheimer's period map.
A graph is called Ricci-flat if its Ricci curvatures vanish on all edges, here the definition of Ricci curvature on graphs was given by Lin-Lu-Yau. The authors in arXiv:1301.0102 and arXiv:1802.02982 obtained a complete characterization for all Ricci-flat graphs with girth at least five. In this paper, we completely determined all Ricci-flat graphs with maximum degree at most 4.
On a closed weighted Riemannian manifold with nonnegative Bakry-Émery Ricci curvature, it is shown that the ratio of the $k$-th to first eigenvalues of the weighted Laplacian is dominated by $641k^2$, using an argument via the Cheeger constant. While improving the previous exponential upper bound, the order of $k$ here is optimal, and hence answers an open question of Funano. This approach works still on a compact finite-dimensional Alexandrov space of nonnegative curvature and proves affirmatively a conjecture of Funano and Shioya asserting a dimension free upper bound for eigenvalue ratios i…
In this paper we consider connections between Ricci solitons and Einstein metrics on homogeneous spaces. We show that a semi-algebraic Ricci soliton admits an Einstein one-dimensional extension if the soliton derivation can be chosen to be normal. Using our previous work on warped product Einstein metrics, we show that every normal semi-algebraic Ricci soliton also admits a $k$-dimensional Einstein extension for any $k\geq 2$. We also prove converse theorems for these constructions and some geometric and topological structure results for homogeneous warped product Einstein metrics. In the appe…