We introduce a smooth quadratic conformal functional and its weighted version $$W_2=\sum_e β^2(e)\quad W_{2,w}=\sum_e (n_i+n_j)β^2(e),$$ where $β(e)$ is the extrinsic intersection angle of the circumcircles of the triangles of the mesh sharing the edge $e=(ij)$ and $n_i$ is the valence of vertex $i$. Besides minimizing the squared local conformal discrete Willmore energy $W$ this functional also minimizes local differences of the angles $β$. We investigate the minimizers of this functionals for simplicial spheres and simplicial surfaces of nontrivial topology. Several remarkable facts are observed. In particular for most of randomly generated simplicial polyhedra the minimizers of $W_2$ and $W_{2,w}$ are inscribed polyhedra. We demonstrate also some applications in geometry processing, for example, a conformal deformation of surfaces to the round sphere. A partial theoretical explanation through quadratic optimization theory of some observed phenomena is presented.
A new functional for simplicial surfaces is suggested. It is invariant with respect to Moebius transformations and is a discrete analogue of the Willmore functional. Minima of this functional are investigated. as an application a bending energy for discrete thin-shells is derived.
We study metrics on two-dimensional simplicial complexes that are conformal either to flat Euclidean metrics or to the ideal hyperbolic metrics described by Charitos and Papadopoulos. Extending the results of our previous paper, we prove existence, uniqueness, and regularity results for harmonic maps between two such metrics on a complex.
We investigate the functional determinant of the laplacian on piece-wise flat two-dimensional surfaces, with conical singularities in the interior and/or corners on the boundary. Our results extend earlier investigations of the determinants on smooth surfaces with smooth boundaries. The differences to the smooth case are: a) different ``interaction energies'' between pairs of conical singularities than one would expect from a naive extrapolation of the results for a smooth surface; and b) ``self-energies'' of the singularities.
We derive a class of variational functionals which arise naturally in conformal geometry. In the special case when the Riemannian manifold is locally conformal flat, the functional coincides with the well studied functional which is the integration over the manifold of the k-symmetric function of the Schouten tensor of the metric on the manifold.
In this paper, we introduce a new functional for the conformal spectrum of the conformal laplacian on a closed manifold M of dimension at least 3. For this new functional we provide a Korevaar type result. The main body of the paper deals with the case of the sphere but a section is devoted to more general closed manifolds.
We consider the problem of minimizing the Willmore energy in the class of conformal immersions of a given closed, genus p Riemann surface into R^n for n=3,4. We prove existence of a smooth minimizer, provided that the infimum is below a certain bound ${\cal W}(n,p)$. For tori in R^3 we have explicitely ${\cal W}(3,1) = 8π$.
Let $(M, g)$, $(N, h)$ be compact Riemannian manifolds without boundary, and let $f$ be a smooth map from $M$ into $N$. We consider a covariant symmetric tensor $T_f$ $=$ ${\displaystyle f^*h - \frac{1}{m} |df|^2 g}$, where $f^*h$ denotes the pull-back metric of $h$ by $f$. The tensor $T_f$ vanishes if and only if the map $f$ is weakly conformal. The norm $|T_f|$ is a quantity which is a measure of conformality of $f$ at each point. We are concerned with maps which are critical points of the functional $Φ(f)$ $=$ ${\displaystyle \int_M |T_f|^2dv_g}$. We call such maps {\it C-stationary maps}. …
Riemann surfaces are two-dimensional manifolds with a conformal class of metrics. It is well known that the harmonic action functional and harmonic maps are tools to study the moduli space of Riemann surfaces. Super Riemann surfaces are an analogue of Riemann surfaces in the world of super geometry. After a short introduction to super differential geometry we will compare Riemann surfaces and super Riemann surfaces. We will see that super Riemann surfaces can be viewed as Riemann surfaces with an additional field, the gravitino. An extension of the harmonic action functional to super Riemann s…
We analyze an energy functional associated to Conformal Ricci Flow along closed manifolds with constant negative scalar curvature. Given initial conditions we use this functional to demonstrate the uniqueness of both the metric and the pressure function along Conformal Ricci Flow.
We develop a bubble tree construction and prove compactness results for $W^{2,2}$ branched conformal immersions of closed Riemann surfaces, with varying conformal structures whose limit may degenerate, in a compact Riemannian manifold with uniformly bounded areas and Willmore energies. The compactness property is applied to construct Willmore type surfaces in compact Riemannian manifolds. This includes (a) existence of a Willmore 2-sphere in ${\mathbb S}^n$ with at least 2 nonremovable singular points (b) existence of minimizers of the Willmore functional with prescribed area in a compact mani…
In this paper, close surfaces are considered in 3-dimensional harmonic conformally flat space in point of the variation. It is shown that if the conformal vector field be tangent to surface and the sign of the mean curvature does not change then surface is minimal. Also, it is determined that the critical point of mean curvature functional is homeomorphic to the sphere. Furthermore, the Euler-Lagrange equations associated to the mean curvature and Willmore functionals are determined.
We introduce a family of variational functionals for spinor fields on a compact Riemann surface $M$ that can be used to find close-to-conformal immersions of $M$ into $\mathbb{R}^3$ in a prescribed regular homotopy class. Numerical experiments indicate that, by taking suitable limits, minimization of these functionals can also yield piecewise smooth isometric immersions of a prescribed Riemannian metric on $M$.
We study the Euler-Lagrange equation for several natural functionals defined on a conformal class of almost Hermitian metrics, whose expression involves the Lee form $θ$ of the metric. We show that the Gauduchon metrics are the unique extremal metrics of the functional corresponding to the norm of the codifferential of the Lee form. We prove that on compact complex surfaces, in every conformal class there exists a unique metric, up to multiplication by a constant, which is extremal for the functional given by the $L^2$-norm of $dJθ$, where $J$ denotes the complex structure. These extremal metr…
The main purpose of this note is to construct two functionals of the positive solutions to the conjugate heat equation associated to the metrics evolving by the conformal Ricci flow on closed manifolds. We show that they are nondecreasing by calculating the explicit evolution formulas of these functionals. For the entropy functional we give another proof of the monotonicity by establishing a pointwise formula. Moreover, we show that the increase are strict unless the metrics are Einstein.
In this paper we investigate the nature of stationary points of functionals on the space of Riemannian metrics on a smooth compact manifold. Special cases are spectral invariants associated with Laplace or Dirac operators such as functional determinants, and the total Q-curvature. When the functional is invariant under conformal changes of the metric, and the manifold is the standard n-sphere, we apply methods from representation theory to give a universal form of the Hessian of the functional at a stationary point. This reveals a very strong rigidity in the local structure of any such functio…
By a conformal string in Euclidean space is meant a closed critical curve with non-constant conformal curvatures of the conformal arclength functional. We prove that (1) the set of conformal classes of conformal strings is in 1-1 correspondence with the rational points of the complex domain $\{q\in \mathbb{C} \,:\, 1/2 < \mathrm{Re}\, q < 1/\sqrt{2},\,\, \mathrm{Im}\, q > 0,\,\, |q| < 1/\sqrt{2}\}$ and (2) any conformal class has a model conformal string, called symmetrical configuration, which is determined by three phenomenological invariants: the order of its symmetry group and its linking …
The invariant theory for conformal hypersurfaces is studied by treating these as the conformal infinity of a conformally compact manifold: For a given conformal hypersurface embedding, a distinguished ambient metric is found (within its conformal class) by solving a singular version of the Yamabe problem. Using existence results for asymptotic solutions to this problem, we develop the details of how to proliferate conformal hypersurface invariants. In addition we show how to compute the the solution's asymptotics. We also develop a calculus of conformal hypersurface invariant differential oper…
If a smooth compact 4-manifold M admits a Kaehler-Einstein metric g of positive scalar curvature, Gursky showed that its conformal class [g] is an absolute minimizer of the Weyl functional among all conformal classes with positive Yamabe constant. Here we prove that, with the same hypotheses, [g] also minimizes of the Weyl functional on a different open set of conformal classes, most of which have negative Yamabe constant. An analogous minimization result is then proved for Einstein metrics g which are Hermitian, but not Kaehler.
LIX Ecole Polytechnique IP Paris（巴黎综合理工学院计算机科学实验室）；Université de Lorraine CNRS Inria LORIA（洛林大学法国国家科学研究中心洛林计算机科学与应用研究实验室）；Sapienza University of Rome（罗马大学）
In this paper, we introduce complex functional maps, which extend the functional map framework to conformal maps between tangent vector fields on surfaces. A key property of these maps is their orientation awareness. More specifically, we demonstrate that unlike regular functional maps that link functional spaces of two manifolds, our complex functional maps establish a link between oriented tangent bundles, thus permitting robust and efficient transfer of tangent vector fields. By first endowing and then exploiting the tangent bundle of each shape with a complex structure, the resulting opera…
The conformal Willmore functional (which is conformal invariant in general Riemannian manifold $(M,g)$) is studied with a perturbative method: the Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction. Existence of critical points is shown in ambient manifolds $(\mathbb{R}^3, g_ε)$ -where $g_ε$ is a metric close and asymptotic to the euclidean one. With the same technique a non existence result is proved in general Riemannian manifolds $(M,g)$ of dimension three.
Constrained Willmore surfaces are conformal immersions of Riemann surfaces that are critical points of the Willmore energy $W=\int H^2$ under compactly supported infinitesimal conformal variations. Examples include all constant mean curvature surfaces in space forms. In this paper we investigate more generally the critical points of arbitrary geometric functionals on the space of immersions under the constraint that the admissible variations infinitesimally preserve the conformal structure. Besides constrained Willmore surfaces we discuss in some detail examples of constrained minimal and volu…
We consider the class of all conformal mappings from a compact Riemann surface into the threedimensional or fourdimensional Euclidean space. A sequence in this class with bounded Willmore functional is shown to have a sequence of conformal transformations of the target space, such that a subsequence of the transformed sequence converges. This implies that there exists a smooth conformal mapping, which minimizes the Willmore functional in this class. For this purpose we extend the quaternionic function theory of Pedit and Pinkall to square integrable Hopf fields. In particular, we proof the Plu…
Using the reformulation in divergence form of the Euler-Lagrange equation for the Willmore functional as it was developed in "Analysis of the Willmore Functional" by T. Riviere (Invent. Math. 174), we study the limit of a local Palais-Smale sequence of weak Willmore immersions with locally square-integrable second fundamental form. We show that the limit immersion is smooth and that it satisfies the conformal Willmore equation: it is a critical point of the Willmore functional restricted to infinitesimal conformal variations.
We show, that higher analogs of the Willmore functional, defined on the space of immersions M^2\rightarrow R^3, where M^2 is a two-dimensional torus, R^3 is the 3-dimensional Euclidean space are invariant under conformal transformations of R^3. This hypothesis was formulated recently by I.A.Taimanov (dg-ga/9610013). Higher analogs of the Willmore functional are defined in terms of the Modified Novikov-Veselov hierarchy. This soliton hierarchy is associated with the zero-energy scattering problem for the two-dimensional Dirac operator.
We will show that in the conformal class of the standard metric $g_{S^n}$ on $S^n$, the scaling invariant functional $(μ_g(S^n))^{\frac{2m-n}{n}}\int_{S^n}Q_{2m,g}dμ_g$ maximizes at $g_{S^n}$ when $n$ is odd and $m=\frac{n+1}{2}$ or $\frac{n+3}{2}$. For $n$ odd and $m\geq\frac{n+5}{2}$, $g_{S^n}$ is not stable and the functional has no local maximizer. Here $Q_{2m,g}$ is the $2m$th order $Q $-curvature.
While conformal transformations of the plane preserve Laplace's equation, Lorentz-conformal mappings preserve the wave equation. We discover how simple geometric objects, such as quadrilaterals and pairs of crossing curves, are transformed under nonlinear Lorentz-conformal mappings. Squares are transformed into curvilinear quadrilaterals where three sides determine the fourth by a geometric "rectangle rule," which can be expressed also by functional formulas. There is an explicit functional degree of freedom in choosing the mapping taking the square to a given quadrilateral. We characterize cl…
Let $Σ$ be a compact surface with boundary. For a given conformal class $c$ on $Σ$ the functional $σ_k^*(Σ,c)$ is defined as the supremum of the $k-$th normalized Steklov eigenvalue over all metrics on $c$. We consider the behaviour of this functional on the moduli space of conformal classes on $Σ$. A precise formula for the limit of $σ_k^*(Σ,c_n)$ when the sequence $\{c_n\}$ degenerates is obtained. We apply this formula to the study of natural analogs of the Friedlander-Nadirashvili invariants of closed manifolds defined as $\inf_{c}σ_k^*(Σ,c)$, where the infimum is taken over all conformal …
A piecewise flat manifold is a triangulated manifold given a geometry by specifying edge lengths (lengths of 1-simplices) and specifying that all simplices are Euclidean. We consider the variation of angles of piecewise flat manifolds as the geometry varies in a particular way, which we call a conformal variation. This variation generalizes variations within the class of circles with fixed intersection angles (such as circle packings) as well as other formulations of conformal variation of piecewise flat manifolds previously suggested. We describe the angle derivatives of the angles in two and…
In this paper we continue to study the connection among the area minimizing problem, certain area functional and the Dirichlet problem of minimal surface equations in a class of conformal cones with a similar motivation from \cite{GZ20}. These cones are certain generalizations of hyperbolic spaces. We describe the structure of area minimizing $n$-nteger multiplicity currents in bounded $C^2$ conformal cones with prescribed $C^1$ graphical boundary via a minimizing problem of these area functionals. As an application we solve the corresponding Dirichlet problem of minimal surface equations unde…
On four-dimensional closed manifolds we introduce a class of canonical Riemannian metrics, that we call weak harmonic Weyl metrics, defined as critical points in the conformal class of a quadratic functional involving the norm of the divergence of the Weyl tensor. This class includes Einstein and, more in general, harmonic Weyl manifolds. We prove that every closed four-manifold admits a weak harmonic Weyl metric, which is the unique (up to dilations) minimizer of the functional in a suitable conformal class. In general the problem is degenerate elliptic due to possible vanishing of the Weyl t…
In this work we present new fundamental tools for studying the variations of the Willmore functional of immersed surfaces into $R^m$. This approach gives for instance a new proof of the existence of a Willmore minimizing embedding of an arbitrary closed surface in arbitrary codimension. We explain how the same approach can solve constraint minimization problems for the Willmore functional. We show in particular that, for a given closed surface and a given conformal class for this surface, there is an immersion in $R^m$, away possibly from isolated branched points, which minimizes the Willmore …
For a compact manifold $M$ of $\dim M =n\geq 4$, we study two conformal invariants of a conformal class $C$ on $M$. These are the Yamabe constant $Y_C(M)$ and the $L^{\frac{n}{2}}$-norm $W_C(M)$ of the Weyl curvature. We prove that for any manifold $M$ there exists a conformal class $C$ such that the Yamabe constant $Y_C(M)$ is arbitrarily close to the Yamabe invariant $Y(M)$, and, at the same time, the constant $W_C(M)$ is arbitrarily large. We study the image of the map $\YW: C\mapsto (Y_C(M),W_C(M))\in \R^2$ near the line $\{(Y(M),w) | w\in \R\}$. We also apply our results to certain classe…
