For a surface in 3-sphere, by identifying the conformal round 3-sphere as the projectivized positive light cone in Minkowski 5-spacetime, we use the conformal Gauss map and the conformal transform to construct the associate homogeneous 4-surface in Minkowski 5-spacetime. We then derive the local fundamental theorem for a surface in conformal round 3-sphere from that of the associate 4-surface in Minkowski 5-spacetime. More importantly, following the idea of Fefferman and Graham, we construct local scalar invariants for a surface in conformal round 3-sphere. One distinct feature of our construction is to link the classic work of Blaschke to the works of Bryan and Fefferman-Graham.
We study the Minkowski formula of conformal Killing-Yano two-forms in a spacetime of constant curvature. We establish the spacetime Alexandrov theorem with a free boundary.
The paper develops the Finsler-like geometry on the 1-jet space for the jet conformal Minkowski (JCM) metric, which naturally extends the Minkowski metric in the Chernov-Pavlov framework. To this aim there are determined the nonlinear connection, distinguished (d-) Cartan linear connection, d-torsions and d-curvatures. The field geometrical gravitational and electromagnetic d-models based on the JCM metric are discussed.
We address the problem of second order conformal deformation of spacelike surfaces in compactified Minkowski 4-space. We explain the construction of the exterior differential system of conformal deformations and discuss its general and singular solutions. In particular, we show that isothermic surfaces are singular solutions of the system, which implies that a generic second order deformable surface is not isothermic. This differs from the situation in 3-dimensional conformal geometry, where isothermic surfaces coincide with deformable surfaces.
We consider the problem $F=f(ν)$ for strictly convex, closed hypersurfaces in $S^{n+1}$ and solve it for curvature functions $F$ the inverses of which are of class $(K)$.
This paper introduces a complex representation for spacelike surfaces in the Lorentz-Minkowski space $L^4$, based in two complex valued functions which can be assumed to be holomorphic or anti-holomorphic. When the immersion is contained in quadrics of $L^4$, the representation then allows us to obtain interesting partial differential equations with holomorphic or anti-holomorphic parameters, within which we find the partial Riccati Equation. Using then theory of holomorphic complex functions we construct explicitly new local solutions for those PDEs together with its associated geometric solu…
In this paper we prove that under a lower bound on the Ricci curvature and an asymptotic assumption on the scalar curvature, a complete conformally compact manifold $(M^{n+1},g)$, with a pole $p$ and with the conformal infinity in the conformal class of the round sphere, has to be the hyperbolic space.
The Funk--Minkowski transform ${\mathcal F}$ associates a function $f$ on the sphere ${\mathbb S}^2$ with its mean values (integrals) along all great circles of the sphere. Thepresented analytical inversion formula reconstruct the unknown function $f$ completely if two Funk--Minkowski transforms, ${\mathcal F}f$ and ${\mathcal F} \nabla f$, are known. Another result of this article is related to the problem of Helmholtz--Hodge decomposition for tangent vector field on the sphere ${\mathbb S}^2$. We proposed solution for this problem which is used the Funk-Minkowski transform ${\mathcal F}$ and…
Spectrum of a certain class of first order conformally invariant operators on the sphere is explicitly computed. The class contains the (elliptic verions of) Rarita-Schwinger operator and its higher spin analogues.
For all positive integers n we construct a 1-parameter family of conformal tori of revolution in the 3-sphere with n bulges. These tori arise by Darboux transformations of constant mean curvature tori but do not have constant mean curvature in the 3-sphere.
In this paper we give bounds for the first eigenvalue of the conformal Laplacian and the Yamabe invariant of a compact Riemannian manifold, by using conditions on the Ricci curvature and the diameter and deduce certain conditions on the manifold to be conformal to a sphere.
In this paper we provide a sharp characterization of the smooth four-dimensional sphere. The assumptions of the theorem are conformally invariant, and can be reduced to an L^2 inequality of the Weyl tensor and positivity of the Yamabe invariant.
A spacelike surface in four-dimensional Lorentz-Minkowski spacetime through the lightcone has a meaningful lightlike normal vector field $η$. Several sufficient assumptions on such a surface with non-degenerate $η$-second fundamental form are established to prove that it must be a totally umbilical round sphere. With this aim, a new formula which relates the Gauss curvatures of the induced metric and of the $η$-second fundamental form is developed. Then, totally umbilical round spheres are characterized as the only compact spacelike surfaces through the lightcone such that its $η$-second funda…
Identifying any conformally round metric on the $2$-sphere with a unique cross section on the standard lightcone in the $3+1$-Minkowski spacetime, we gain a new perspective on $2d$-Ricci flow on topological spheres. It turns out that in this setting, Ricci flow is equivalent to a null mean curvature flow first studied by Roesch--Scheuer along null hypersurfaces. Exploiting this equivalence, we can translate well-known results from $2d$-Ricci flow first proven by Hamilton into a full classification of the singularity models for null mean curvature flow in the Minkowski lightcone. Conversely, we…
The aim of this paper is to verify that the study of generic conformally flat hypersurfaces in 4-dimensional space forms is reduced to a surface theory in the standard 3-sphere. The conformal structure of generic conformally flat (local-)hypersurfaces is characterized as conformally flat (local-)3-metrics with the Guichard condition. Then, there is a certain class of orthogonal analytic (local-)Riemannian 2-metrics with constant Gauss curvature -1 such that any 2-metric of the class gives rise to a one-parameter family of conformally flat 3-metrics with the Guichard condition. In this paper, w…
Let $M_t$ be an isoparametric foliation on the unit sphere $(S^{n-1}(1),g^{\mathrm{st}})$ with $d$ principal curvature values. Using the spherical coordinates induced by $M_t$, we construct a Minkowski norm with the presentation $F=r\sqrt{2f(t)}$, which generalizes the notions of $(α,β)$-norm and $(α_1,α_2)$-norm. Using the technique of spherical local frame, we give an exact and explicit answer for the question when $F=r\sqrt{2f(t)}$ really defines a Minkowski norm. Using the similar technique, we study the Hessian isometry $Φ$ between two Minkowski norms induced by $M_t$, which preserves the…
We give explicit formulas for all odd order differential intertwinors on the subbundle of the bundle of spinor-$k$-forms that are annihilated by the Clifford multiplication over the odd dimensional standard sphere. The Dirac and Rarita-Schwinger operators appear in the case of $k=0$ and $k=1$, respectively.
Rationality of the Wightman functions is proven to follow from energy positivity, locality and a natural condition of global conformal invariance (GCI) in any number D of space-time dimensions. The GCI condition allows to treat correlation functions as generalized sections of a vector bundle over the compactification of Minkowski space and yields a strong form of locality valid for all non-isotropic intervals if assumed true for space-like separations.
In this paper we use the relationship between conformal metrics on the sphere and horospherically convex hypersurfaces in the hyperbolic space for giving sufficient conditions on a conformal metric to be radial under some constrain on the eigenvalues of its Schouten tensor. Also, we study conformal metrics on the sphere which are invariant by a $k-$parameter subgroup of conformal diffeomorphisms of the sphere, giving a bound on its maximum dimension. Moreover, we classify conformal metrics on the sphere whose eigenvalues of the Shouten tensor are all constant (we call them \emph{isoparametric …
We consider the conformal class of the Riemannian product $g_0 + g$, where $g_0$ is the constant curvature metric on $S^m$ and $g$ is a metric of constant scalar curvature on some closed manifold. We show that the number of metrics of constant scalar curvature in the conformal class grows at least linearly with respect to the square root of the scalar curvature of $g$. This is obtained by studying radial solutions of the equation $Δu -λu + λu^p =0$ on $S^m$, and the number of solutions in terms of $λ$.
In this article, we estimate the quasi-local energy with reference to the Minkowski spacetime [16,17], the anti-de Sitter spacetime [4], or the Schwarzschild spacetime [3]. In each case, the reference spacetime admits a conformal Killing-Yano 2-form which facilitates the application of the Minkowski formula in [15] to estimate the quasi-local energy. As a consequence of the positive mass theorems in [9,13] and the above estimate, we obtain rigidity theorems which characterize the Minkowski spacetime and the hyperbolic space.
The paper builds a DPW approach of Willmore surfaces via conformal Gauss maps. As applications, we provide descriptions of minimal surfaces in $\mathbb R^{n+2}$, isotropic surfaces in $S^4$ and homogeneous Willmore tori via the loop group method. A new example of a Willmore two-sphere in $S^6$ without dual surfaces is also presented.
We study the space of conformal immersions of a 2-torus into the 4-sphere. The moduli space of generalized Darboux transforms of such an immersed torus has the structure of a Riemann surface, the spectral curve. This Riemann surface arises as the zero locus of the determinant of a holomorphic family of Dirac type operators parameterized over the complexified dual torus. The kernel line bundle of this family over the spectral curve describes the generalized Darboux transforms of the conformally immersed torus. If the spectral curve has finite genus the kernel bundle can be extended to the compa…
We establish in this paper an upper bound on the second eigenvalue of n-dimensional spheres in the conformal class of the round sphere. This upper bound holds in all dimensions and is asymptotically sharp as the dimension increases.
We study a fractional conformal curvature flow on the standard unit sphere and prove a perturbation result of the fractional Nirenberg problem with fractional exponent $σ\in (1/2,1)$. This extends the result of Chen-Xu (Invent. Math. 187, no. 2, 395-506, 2012) for the scalar curvature flow on the standard unit sphere.
This is the first comprehensive introduction to the authors' recent attempts toward a better understanding of the global concepts behind spinor representations of surfaces in 3-space. The important new aspect is a quaternionic-valued function theory, whose "meromorphic functions" are conformal maps into quaternions, which extends the classical complex function theory on Riemann surfaces. The first results along these lines were presented at the ICM 98 in Berlin. An important new invariant of the quaternionic holomorphic theory is the Willmore energy. For quaternionic holomorphic curves in the …
In this paper we relate the geometric Poisson brackets on the Grassmannian of 2-planes in R^4 and on the (2,2) Moebius sphere. We show that, when written in terms of local moving frames, the geometric Poisson bracket on the Moebius sphere does not restrict to the space of differential invariants of Schwarzian type. But when the concept of conformal natural frame is transported from the conformal sphere into the Grassmannian, and the Poisson bracket is written in terms of the Grassmannian natural frame, it restricts and results into either a decoupled system or a complexly coupled system of KdV…
In this paper we perform a fine blow-up analysis for a fourth order elliptic equation involving critical Sobolev exponent, related to the prescription of some conformal invariant on the standard sphere. We derive from this analysis some a priori estimates in dimension 5 and 6. On the five dimensionl sphere these a priori estimates combined with the perturbation result of Part I allow us to obtain some existence results. On the six dimensional sphere we prove the existence of at least one solution when an associated index is different from zero.
In this paper we study some fourth order elliptic equation involving the critical Sobolev exponent, related to the prescription of a fourth order conformal invariant on the standard sphere. We use a topological method to prove the existence of at least a solution when the function to be prescribed is close to a constant and a finite dimensional map associated to it has non-zero degree.
We study the problem of prescribing the Paneitz curvature on higher dimensional spheres. Particular attention is paid to the blow-up points, i.e. the critical points at infinity of the corresponding variational problem. Using topological tools and a careful analysis of the gradient flow lines in the neighborhood of such critical points at infinity, we prove some existence results.
A new characterization of conformal transformations is given. By use of this, the general form of conformal transformation on two-dimensional Minkowski space is given and its conformal structure is analyzed.
A tensor invariant is defined on a quaternionic contact manifold in terms of the curvature and torsion of the Biquard connection involving derivatives up to third order of the contact form. This tensor, called quaternionic contact conformal curvature, is similar to the Weyl conformal curvature in Riemannian geometry and to the Chern-Moser tensor in CR geometry. It is shown that a quaternionic contact manifold is locally quaternionic contact conformal to the standard flat quaternionic contact structure on the quaternionic Heisenberg group, or equivalently, to the standard 3-sasakian structure o…
In this paper we prove classification results to elliptic fully nonlinear conformal equations on certain subdomains of the sphere with prescribed constant mean curvature on its boundary. Such subdomains are the hemisphere (or a geodesic ball on $\mathbb{S}^n$) of dimension $n\geq 2$ with prescribed constant mean curvature on its boundary, and annular domains with minimal boundary. Our results extend the classifications of Escobar in \cite{E0} when $n\geq 3$, and Hang-Wang in \cite{HaWa} and Jimenez in \cite{J} when $n=2$.
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.
