This article is a translation of the paper \cite{Troyanov1990}, to be included in the forthcoming book "Reshetnyak's Theory of Subharmonic Metrics", edited by François Fillastre and Dmitriy Slytskiy and to be published by Springer and the Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM) in Montréal
In this note we discuss the geometry of Riemannian surfaces having a discrete set of singular points. We assume the conformal structure extends through the singularities and the curvature is integrable. Such points are called \emph{simple singularities}. We first describe them locally and then globally using the notion of (real) divisor. We formulate a Gauss-Bonnet formula and relate it to some asymptotic isoperimetric ratio. We prove a classifications theorem for flat metrics with simple singularities on a compact surface and discuss the Berger--Nirenberg Problem on surfaces with a divisor. We finally discuss the relation with spherical polyhedra.
Let $M$ be a surface with a Riemannian metric and $UM$ the unit tangent bundle over $M$ with the canonical contact sub-Riemannian structure $D$ on $UM$. In this paper, the complete local classification of singularities, under the Legendre fibration $UM$ over $M$, is given for sub-Riemannian geodesics of $(UM, D)$. Legendre singularities of sub-Riemannian geodesics are classified completely also for another Legendre fibration from $UM$ to the space of Riemannian geodesics on $M$. The duality on Legendre singularities is observed related to the pendulum motion.
In this paper we define and analyze singularities of discrete linear Weingarten surfaces with Weierstrass-type representations in $3$-dimensional Riemannian and Lorentzian spaceforms. In particular, we discuss singularities of discrete surfaces with non-zero constant Gaussian curvature, and parallel surfaces of discrete minimal and maximal surfaces, and discrete constant mean curvature $1$ surfaces in de Sitter $3$-space, including comparisons with different previously known definitions of such singularities.
We consider a pseudo-Riemannian metric that changes signature along a smooth curve on a surface, called the discriminant curve. The discriminant curve separates the surface locally into a Riemannian and a Lorentzian domain. We study the local behaviour and properties of geodesics at a point on the discriminant where the isotropic direction is tangent to the discriminant curve.
We reconcile between two classical models of edge-dislocations in solids. The first model, dating from the early 1900s models isolated edge-dislocations as line singularities in locally-Euclidean manifolds. The second model, dating from the 1950s, models continuously-distributed edge-dislocations as smooth manifolds endowed with non-symmetric affine connections (equivalently, endowed with torsion fields). In both models, the solid is modeled as a Weitzenböck manifold. We prove, using a weak notion of convergence [KM15], that the second model can be obtained rigorously as a homogenization limit…
We consider harmonic maps into pseudo-Riemannian manifolds. We show the removability of isolated singularities for continuous maps, i.e. that any continuous map from an open subset of R^m into a pseudo-Riemannian manifold which is two times continuously differentiable and harmonic everywhere outside an isolated point is actually smooth harmonic everywhere.
In this paper, we extend and complete the classification of the generic singularities of the 3D-contact sub-Riemmanian conjugate locus in a neighbourhood of the origin.
Using symplectic techniques and spectral analysis of smooth paths of self-adjoint operators, we characterize the set of conjugate instants along a geodesic in an infinite dimensional Riemannian Hilbert manifold.
The goal of this paper is to use singularity theory to find normal forms near the critical points of the sub-Riemannian exponential map. Three cases are studied: the $α$-Grushin plane with fold singularities, and the special unitary group $\mathrm{SU}(2)$ and special linear group $\mathrm{SL}(2)$ with fold and saddle-like singularities. They serve as examples of different sub-Riemannian structures and the techniques presented can be applied to other contexts. The paper also includes a discussion of the implications of this approach, as well as open problems.
We present a survey on generic singularities of geodesic flows in smooth signature changing metrics (often called pseudo-Riemannian) in dimension 2. Generically, a pseudo-Riemannian metric on a 2-manifold $S$ changes its signature (degenerates) along a curve $S_0$, which locally separates $S$ into a Riemannian ($R$) and a Lorentzian ($L$) domain. The geodesic flow does not have singularities over $R$ and $L$, and for any point $q \in R \cup L$ and every tangential direction $p$ there exists a unique geodesic passing through the point $q$ with the direction $p$. On the contrary, geodesics canno…
We study the existence and regularity of solutions to the Cauchy problem for the inhomogeneous heat equation on compact Riemannian manifolds with conical singularities. We introduce weighted Hölder and Sobolev spaces with discrete asymptotics and we prove existence and maximal regularity of solutions to the Cauchy problem for the inhomogeneous heat equation, when the free term lies in a weighted parabolic Hölder or Sobolev space with discrete asymptotics. This generalizes a result previously obtained by Coriasco, Schrohe, and Seiler (Thm. 7.2 in Math. Z. 244 (2003), 235--269) by different mean…
We study the singularities of the exponential map in semi Riemannian locally symmetric manifolds. Conjugate points along geodesics depend only on real negative eigenvalues of the curvature tensor, and their contribution to the Maslov index of the geodesic is computed explicitly. We prove that degeneracy of conjugate points, which is a phenomenon that can only occur in semi-Riemannian geometry, is caused in the locally symmetric case by the lack of diagonalizability of the curvature tensor. The case of Lie groups endowed with a bi-invariant metric is studied in some detail, and conditions are g…
If $U:[0,+\infty[\times M$ is a uniformly continuous viscosity solution of the evolution Hamilton-Jacobi equation $$\partial_tU+ H(x,\partial_xU)=0,$$ where $M$ is a not necessarily compact manifold, and $H$ is a Tonelli Hamiltonian, we prove the set $Σ(U)$, of points where $U$ is not differentiable, is locally contractible. Moreover, we study the homotopy type of $Σ(U)$. We also give an application to the singularities of a distance function to a closed subset of a complete Riemannian manifold.
In this article we collect results obtained by the authors jointly with other authors and we discuss old and new ideas. In particular we discuss singularities of the exponential map, completeness and homogeneity for Riemannian Hilbert quotient manifolds. We also extend a Theorem due to Nomizu and Ozeki to infinite dimensional Riemannian Hilbert manifolds.
Given $(M,g_0)$ a closed Riemannian manifold and a nonempty closed subset $X$ in $M$, the singular $σ_k-$Yamabe problem asks for a complete metric $g$ on $M\backslash X$ conformal to $g_0$ with constant $σ_k-$curvature. The $σ_k-$curvature is defined as the $k-$th elementary symmetric function of the eigenvalues of the Schouten tensor of a Riemannian metric. The main goal of this paper is to find solutions to the singular $σ_2-$Yamabe problem with isolated singularities in any compact non-degenerate manifold such that the Weyl tensor vanishing to sufficiently high order at the singular point. …
In this paper we generalize the Local Removable Singularity Theorem in [16] for minimal laminations to the case of weak $H$-laminations (with $H\in \mathbb{R}$ constant) in a punctured ball of a Riemannian three-manifold. We also obtain a curvature estimate for any weak CMC foliation (with possibly varying constant mean curvature from leaf to leaf) of a compact Riemannian three-manifold $N$ with boundary solely in terms of a bound of the absolute sectional curvature of $N$ and of the distance to the boundary of $N$. We then apply these results to classify weak CMC foliations of $\mathbb{R}^3$ …
It is well-known that the unit cotangent bundle of any Riemannian manifold has a canonical contact structure. A surface in a Riemannian 3-manifold is called a (wave) front if it is the projection of a Legendrian immersion into the unit cotangent bundle. We shall give easily-computable criteria for a singular point on a front to be a cuspidal edge or a swallowtail. Using this, we shall prove that generically flat fronts in the hyperbolic 3-space admit only cuspidal edges and swallowtails. Moreover, we will show that every complete flat front (which is not rotationally symmetric) has associated …
In this article the degenerate warped products of singular semi-Riemannian manifolds are studied. They were used recently by the author to handle singularities occurring in General Relativity, in black holes and at the big-bang. One main result presented here is that a degenerate warped product of semi-regular semi-Riemannian manifolds with the warping function satisfying a certain condition is a semi-regular semi-Riemannian manifold. The connection and the Riemann curvature of the warped product are expressed in terms of those of the factor manifolds. Examples of singular semi-Riemannian mani…
The connected components of the zero set of any conformal vector field, in a pseudo-Riemannian manifold of arbitrary signature, are shown to be totally umbilical conifold varieties, that is, smooth submanifolds except possibly for some quadric singularities. The singularities occur only when the metric is indefinite, including the Lorentzian case. This generalizes an analogous result in the Riemannian case, due to Belgun, Moroianu and Ornea (2010).
We establish what semi-discrete linear Weingarten surfaces with Weierstrass-type representations in $3$-dimensional Riemannian and Lorentzian spaceforms are, confirming their required properties regarding curvatures and parallel surfaces, and then classify them. We then define and analyze their singularities. In particular, we discuss singularities of (1) semi-discrete surfaces with non-zero constant Gaussian curvature, (2) parallel surfaces of semi-discrete minimal and maximal surfaces, and (3) semi-discrete constant mean curvature $1$ surfaces in de Sitter $3$-space. We include comparisons w…
We consider an inverse problem associated with some 2-dimensional non-compact surfaces with conical singularities, cusps and regular ends. Our motivating example is a Riemann surface $\mathcal M = Γ\backslash{\bf H}^2$ associated with a Fuchsian group of the 1st kind $Γ$ containing parabolic elements. $\mathcal M$ is then non-compact, and has a finite number of cusps and elliptic singular points, which is regarded as a hyperbolic orbifold. We introduce a class of Riemannian surfaces with conical singularities on its finite part, having cusps and regular ends at infinity, whose metric is asympt…
Let $(M,g)$ be a compact Riemannian manifold of dimension $n\geq 3$. Under some assumptions, we prove that there exists a positive function $φ$ solution of the following Yamabe type equation Δφ+ hφ= \tilde h φ^{\frac{n+2}{n-2}} where $h\in L^p(M)$, $p>n/2$ and $\tilde h\in \mathbb R$. We give the regularity of $φ$ with respect to the value of $p$. Finally, we consider the results in geometry when $g$ is a singular Riemannian metric and $h=\frac{n-2}{4(n-1)}R_g$, where $R_g$ is the scalar curvature of $g$.
We study minimal surfaces in generic sub-Riemannian manifolds with sub-Riemannian structures of co-rank one. These surfaces can be defined as the critical points of the so-called {\it horizontal} area functional associated to the canonical {\it horizontal} area form. We derive the intrinsic equation in the general case and then consider in greater detail 2-dimensional surfaces in contact manifolds of dimension 3. We show that in this case minimal surfaces are projections of a special class of 2-dimensional surfaces in the horizontal spherical bundle over the base manifold. Generic singularitie…
We study isolated singularities of two dimensional Yang-Mills-Higgs fields defined on a fiber bundle, where the fiber space is a compact Riemannian manifold and the structure group is a compact connected Lie group. In general the singularity can not be removed due to possibly non-vanishing limit holonomy around the singular points. We establish a sharp asymptotic decay estimate of the Yang-Mills-Higgs field near a singular point, where the decay rate is precisely determined by the limit holonomy. Our result can be viewed as a generalization of the classical removable singularity theorem of two…
The paper is a study of geodesic in two-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian metrics. Firstly, the local properties of geodesics in a neighborhood of generic parabolic points are investigated. The equation of the geodesic flow has singularities at such points that leads to a curious phenomenon: geodesics cannot pass through such a point in arbitrary tangential directions, but only in certain directions said to be admissible (the number of admissible directions is generically 1 or 3). Secondly, we study the global properties of geodesics in pseudo-Riemannian metrics possessing differentiable groups of…
We study the geodesic X-ray transform $X$ on compact Riemannian surfaces with conjugate points. Regardless of the type of the conjugate points, we show that we cannot recover the singularities and therefore, this transform is always unstable (ill-posed). We describe the microlocal kernel of $X$ and relate it to the conjugate locus. We present numerical examples illustrating the cancellation of singularities. We also show that the attenuated X-ray transform is well posed if the attenuation is positive and there are no more than two conjugate points along each geodesic; but still ill-posed, if t…
We give the complete solution to the local diffeomorphism classification problem of generic singularities which appear in tangent surfaces, in as wider situations as possible. We interpret tangent geodesics as tangent lines whenever a (semi-)Riemannian metric, or, more generally, an affine connection is given in an ambient space of arbitrary dimension. Then, given an immersed curve, or, more generally a directed curve or a frontal curve which has well-defined tangent directions along the curve, we define the tangent surface as the ruled surface by tangent geodesics to the curve. We apply the c…
We characterize the kernel of the mixed ray transform on simple $2$-dimensional Riemannian manifolds, that is, on simple surfaces for tensors of any order.
We give the complete solution to the local diffeomorphism classification problem of generic singularities which appear in tangent surfaces, in as wider situations as possible. We interpret tangent geodesics as tangent lines whenever a (semi-)Riemannian metric, or, more generally, an affine connection is given in an ambient space of arbitrary dimension. Then, given an immersed curve, we define the tangent surface as the ruled surface by tangent geodesics to the curve. We apply the characterization of frontal singularities found by Kokubu, Rossman, Saji, Umehara, Yamada, and Fujimori, Saji, Umeh…
We define a very general "parametric connect sum" construction which can be used to eliminate isolated conical singularities of Riemannian manifolds. We then show that various important analytic and elliptic estimates, formulated in terms of weighted Sobolev spaces, can be obtained independently of the parameters used in the construction. Specifically, we prove uniform estimates related to (i) Sobolev Embedding Theorems, (ii) the invertibility of the Laplace operator and (iii) Poincare' and Gagliardo-Nirenberg-Sobolev type inequalities. Our main tools are the well-known theories of weighted So…
In this paper we construct infinitely many examples of a Riemannian submersion from a simple, compact Lie group $G$ with bi-invariant metric onto a smooth manifold that cannot be a quotient of $G$ by a group action. This partially addresses a question of K. Grove's about Riemannian submersions from Lie groups.
Let $(M,g_0)$ be a compact $n$-dimensional Riemannian manifold with a finite number of singular points, where the metric is asymptotic to a non-negatively curved cone over $(\mathbb{S}^{n-1},g)$. We show that there exists a smooth Ricci flow starting from such a metric with curvature decaying like C/t. The initial metric is attained in Gromov-Hausdorff distance and smoothly away from the singular points. In the case that the initial manifold has isolated singularities asymptotic to a non-negatively curved cone over $(\mathbb{S}^{n-1}/Γ,g)$, where $Γ$ acts freely and properly discontinuously, w…
We provide new proofs based on the Myers-Steenrod theorem to confirm that travel time data, travel time difference data and the broken scattering relations determine a simple Riemannian metric on a disc up to the natural gauge of a boundary fixing diffeomorphism. Our method of the proof leads to a Lipschitz-type stability estimate for the first two data sets in the class of simple metrics.
We prove several relations between spectrum and dynamics including wave trace expansion, sharp/improved Weyl laws, propagation of singularities and quantum ergodicity for the sub-Riemannian (sR) Laplacian in the four dimensional quasi-contact case. A key role in all results is played by the presence of abnormal geodesics and represents the first such appearance of these in sub-Riemannian spectral geometry.
We state that any constant curvature Riemannian metric with conical singularities of constant sign curvature on a compact (orientable) surface $S$ can be realized as a convex polyhedron in a Riemannian or Lorentzian) space-form. Moreover such a polyhedron is unique, up to global isometries, among convex polyhedra invariant under isometries acting on a totally umbilical surface. This general statement falls apart into 10 different cases. The cases when $S$ is the sphere are classical.
Given a simple Lie group G of rank 1, we consider compact pseudo-Riemannian manifolds (M,g) of signature (p,q) on which G can act conformally. Precisely, we determine the smallest possible value for the index min(p,q) of the metric. When the index is optimal and G non-exceptional, we prove that the metric must be conformally flat, confirming the idea that in a "good" dynamical context, a geometry is determined by its automorphisms group. This completes anterior investigations on pseudo-Riemannian conformal actions of semi-simple Lie groups of maximal real-rank. Combined with these results, we …
We prove a compactness theorem for metrics with Bounded Integral Curvature on a fixed closed surface $Σ$. As a corollary, we obtain a compactification of the space of Riemannian metrics with conical singularities, where an accumulation of singularities is allowed.
In this work we consider periodic spherically symmetric metrics of constant positive scalar curvature on the n-dimensional cylinder called pseudo-cylindric metrics. These metrics belong to the conformal class $[g_0]$ of the Riemannian product $S^1\times S^{n-1}$ : a circle of length $T$ crossed with the (n-1)-dimensional standard sphere. Such metrics have a harmonic Riemannian curvature and a non parallel Ricci tensor, except for the cylindric one. Thus, it appears a natural link between them and the Derdzinski metrics which are warped product and classify a family of Riemannian manifolds. The…
Scattering rigidity of a Riemannian manifold allows one to tell the metric of a manifold with boundary by looking at the directions of geodesics at the boundary. Lens rigidity allows one to tell the metric of a manifold with boundary from the same information plus the length of geodesics. There are a variety of results about lens rigidity but very little is known for scattering rigidity. We will discuss the subtle difference between these two types of rigidities and prove that they are equivalent for two-dimensional simple manifolds with boundaries. In particular, this implies that two-dimensi…
Let $M$ be a Riemannian $2$-sphere. A classical theorem of Lyusternik and Shnirelman asserts the existence of three distinct simple non-trivial periodic geodesics on $M$. In this paper we prove that there exist three simple periodic geodesics with lengths that do not exceed $20d$, where $d$ is the diameter of $M$. We also present an upper bound that depends only on the area and diameter for the lengths of the three simple periodic geodesics with positive indices that appear as minimax critical values in the classical proofs of the Lyusternik-Shnirelman theorem. Finally, we present better bound…
Let $\M$ be a classical Riemannian globally symmetric space of rank one and non-compact type. We prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the Dirichlet problem for harmonic maps into $\M$ with prescribed singularities along a closed submanifold of the domain. This generalizes our previous work where such maps into the hyperbolic plane were constructed. This problem, in the case where $\M$ is the complex-hyperbolic plane, has applications to equilibrium configurations of co-axially rotating charged black holes in General Relativity.
We summarize the main ideas of General Relativity and Lorentzian geometry, leading to a proof of the simplest of the celebrated Hawking-Penrose singularity theorems. The reader is assumed to be familiar with Riemannian geometry and point set topology.
We prove that knowing the length of geodesics joining points on the boundary of a two-dimensional, compact, simple Riemannian manifold with boundary, we can determine uniquely the Riemannian metric up to the natural obstruction.
Let $(M,g)$ be a surface with Riemannian metric and curved conic singularities. More precisely, a neighbourhood of a singularity is isometric to $(0,1)\times S^1$ with metric $g_{\text{conic}}=dr^2+f(r)^2dθ^2, r\in(0,1)$. We study the spectral geometry of $(M,g)$ using the heat trace expansion. We express the first few terms in the expansion through the geometry of the singularities. The constant term contains information about the angle at the tip of the cone. The next term, $bt^{1/2}$, is expressed through the curvature and the angle at the tip of the cone.
We study Riemannian geometry of canonical Kahler-Einstein currents on projective Calabi-Yau varieties and canonical models of general type with crepant singularities. We prove that the metric completion of the regular part of such a canonical current is a compact metric length space homeomorphic to the original projective variety, with well-defined tangent cones. We also prove a special degeneration for Kahler-Einstein manifolds of general type as an approach to establish the compactification of the moduli space of Kahler-Einstein manifolds of general type. A number of applications are given f…
Let $M_j$ be a sequence of Riemannian manifolds with sectional curvature bound below collapsing to a compact Alexandrov space $X$ of dimension $k$. Suppose that all but finitely many points of $X$ are $(k,δ)$-strained and that the space of directions at each exceptional point contains $k+1$ directions making obtuse angles with each other. We prove that $M_j$ admits a structure of locally trivial fibration over $X$ for sufficiently large $j$. The same is true for collapsing sequences of Alexandrov spaces such that the infimum of the volume of the spaces of directions is sufficiently large relat…
Let V be a compact real analytic surface with isolated singularities embedded in $R^N$, and assume its smooth part is equipped with a Riemannian metric that is induced from some analytic Riemannian metric on $R^N$. We prove: 1. Each point of V has a neighborhood which is quasi-isometric (naturally and 'almost isometrically') to a union of metric cones and horns, glued at their tips. 2. A full asymptotic expansion, for any $p\in V$, of the length of $V\cap\{q:\dist(q,p)=r\}$ as r tends to zero. 3. A Gauss-Bonnet Theorem, saying that horns do not contribute an extra term, while cones contribute …
Recently it was shown by H. Guenancia and M. Paun that a singular metric satisfying the conical Kahler-Einstein equation with a simple normal crossing divisor is equivalent to a conical metric along that divisor. In this note, we present an alternative proof of their theorem.
We study the geodesic X-ray transform $I_Γ$ of tensor fields on a compact Riemannian manifold $M$ with non-necessarily convex boundary and with possible conjugate points. We assume that $I_Γ$ is known for geodesics belonging to an open set $Γ$ with endpoint on the boundary. We prove generic s-injectivity and a stability estimate under some topological assumptions and under the condition that for any $(x,ξ)\in T^*M$, there is a geodesic without conjugate points in $Γ$ through $x$ normal to $ξ$.
For Riemannian metrics of constant positive curvature on a punctured sphere with conic singularities at the punctures and co-axial monodromy of the developing map, possible angles at the singularities are completely described. This completes the recent result of Mondello and Panov. The related problem of describing possible multiplicities of critical points of logarithmic potentials of finitely many charges is also solved.
