We prove an estimate for solutions to the linearized Ricci flow system on closed 3-manifolds. This estimate is a generalization of Hamilton's pinching is preserved estimate for the Ricci curvatures of solutions to the Ricci flow on 3-manifolds with positive Ricci curvature. In our estimate we make no assumption on the curvature of the initial metric. We show that the norm of the solution of the Lichnerowicz Laplacian heat equation (coupled to the Ricci flow) is bounded by a constant (depending on time) times the scalar curvature plus a constant. This relies on a Bochner type formula and establishing the nonnegativity of a degree 4 homogeneous polynomial in 6 variables.
In this paper, we first derive a pinching estimate on the traceless Ricci curvature in term of scalar curvature and Weyl tensor under the Ricci flow. Then we apply this estimate to study finite-time singularity behavior. We show that if the scalar curvature is uniformly bounded, then the Weyl tensor has to blow up, as a consequence, the corresponding singularity model must be Ricci flat with non-vanishing Weyl tensor.
Considering the almost rigidity of the Obata theorem, we generalize Petersen and Aubry's sphere theorem about eigenvalue pinching without assuming the positivity of Ricci curvature, only assuming $Ric\geq-Kg$ and $diam\leq D$ for some positive constants $K>0$ and $D>0$.
We prove pinching estimates for solutions of the linearized Ricci flow system on a closed manifold of dimension $n\geq 4$ with positive scalar curvature and vanishing Weyl tensor. If the vanishing Weyl tensor condition is removed, we only give a rough pinching estimate controlled by some blow-up function in a short time. These results extend the $3$-dimensional case due to Anderson and Chow (2005) \cite{[AC]}.
In this note we consider versions of both Ricci and sectional curvature pinching for Riemannian manifold with density. In the Ricci curvature case the main result implies a diameter estimate that is new even for compact shrinking Ricci solitons. In the case of sectional curvature we prove a new sphere theorem.
We study the natural functional F=scal^2/|Ric|^2 on the space of all non-flat left-invariant metrics on all solvable Lie groups of a given dimension n. As an application of properties of the beta operator, we obtain that solvsolitons are the only global maxima of F restricted to the set of all left-invariant metrics on a given unimodular solvable Lie group, and beyond the unimodular case, we obtain the same result for almost-abelian Lie groups. Many other aspects of the behavior of F are clarified.
It is natural to ask whether solvsolitons are global maxima for the Ricci pinching functional F:=scal^2/|Ric|^2 on the set of all left-invariant metrics on a given solvable Lie group S, as it is to ask whether they are the only global maxima. A positive answer to both questions was given in a recent paper by the same authors when the Lie algebra s of S is either unimodular or has a codimension-one abelian ideal. In the present paper, we prove that this also holds in the following two more general cases: 1) s has a nilradical of codimension-one; 2) the nilradical n of s is abelian and the funct…
We study curvature pinching estimates of Ricci flow on complete 3- dimensional manifolds without bounded curvature assumption. We will derive some general curvature conditions which are preserved on any complete solution of 3-dim Ricci flow, these conditions include nonnegative Ricci curvature and sectional curvature as special cases. A local version of Hamilton-Ivey estimates is also obtained.
We prove a curvature pinching result for the Ricci flow on asymptotically flat manifolds: if an asymptotically flat manifold of dimension $n\geq 3$ has scale-invariant integral norm of curvature sufficiently pinched relative to the inverse of its Sobolev constant, then the Ricci flow starting from this manifold exists for all positive times and converges to flat Euclidean space. In particular our result implies that the initial manifold must have been diffeomorphic to $\mathbb{R}^n$.
We introduce a new curvature-pinching condition, which is weaker than the positive sectional curvature or PIC1, and then we prove several rigidity results for the rotationally symmetric solutions of steady Ricci solitons, i.e., the Bryant Ricci solitons.
Among closed G2-structures there are two very distinguished classes: Laplacian solitons and Extremally Ricci-pinched G2-structures. We study the existence problem and explore possible interplays between these concepts in the context of left-invariant G2-structures on solvable Lie groups. Also, some Ricci pinching properties of G2-structures on solvmanifolds are obtained, in terms of the extremal values and points of the Ricci pinching functional F=scal/|Ric|. Many natural open problems have been included.
Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Pisa, Italy（比萨大学数学系）；Dipartimento di Matematica e Applicazioni ”Renato Caccioppoli”, Università di Napoli Federico II & Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Napoli, Italy（那不勒斯费德里科二世大学应用数学系与南方高等学院）；Institutionen för Matematik, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, Stockholm, Sweden（皇家理工学院数学系）
In this paper, we give the full proof of a conjecture of R.Hamilton that for $(M^3, g)$ being a complete Riemannian 3-manifold with bounded curvature and with the Ricci pinching condition $Rc\geq \ep R g$, where $R>0$ is the positive scalar curvature and $\ep>0$ is a uniform constant, $M^3$ is compact. One of the key ingredients to exclude the local collapse in singularities of the Ricci flow is the use of pinching-decaying estimate. The other important part of our argument is to role out the Type III singularity complete noncompact Ricci flow with positive Ricci pinching condition. We get thi…
We prove that an $n$-dimensional, $n\geq4$, compact gradient shrinking Ricci soliton satisfying a $L^{\frac n2}$-pinching condition is isometric to a quotient of the round $\mathbb{S}^n$, which improves the rigidity theorem given by G. Catino (arXiv:1509.07416vl).
We prove that a $n$-dimensional, $4 \leq n \leq 6$, compact gradient shrinking Ricci soliton satisfying a $L^{n/2}$-pinching condition is isometric to a quotient of the round $\mathbb{S}^{n}$. The proof relies mainly on sharp algebraic curvature estimates, the Yamabe-Sobolev inequality and an improved rigidity result for integral pinched Einstein metrics.
In this paper, we study the evolution of L2 p-forms under Ricci flow with bounded curvature on a complete non-compact or a compact Riemannian manifold. We show that under curvature pinching conditions on such a manifold, the L2 norm of a smooth p-form is non-increasing along the Ricci flow. The L^{\infty} norm is showed to have monotonicity property too.
In this paper, by using monotonicity formulas for vector bundle-valued $p$-forms satisfying the conservation law, we first obtain general $L^2$ global rigidity theorems for locally conformally flat (LCF) manifolds with constant scalar curvature, under curvature pinching conditions. Secondly, we prove vanishing results for $L^2$ and some non-$L^2$ harmonic $p$-forms on LCF manifolds, by assuming that the underlying manifolds satisfy pointwise or integral curvature conditions. Moreover, by a Theorem of Li-Tam for harmonic functions, we show that the underlying manifold must have only one end. Fi…
We show that in each dimension $n\ge 10$ there exist infinite sequences of homotopy equivalent but mutually non-homeomorphic closed simply connected Riemannian $n$-manifolds with $0\le \sec\le 1$, positive Ricci curvature and uniformly bounded diameter. We also construct open manifolds of fixed diffeomorphism type which admit infinitely many complete nonnegatively pinched metrics with souls of bounded diameter such that the souls are mutually non-homeomorphic. Finally, we construct examples of noncompact manifolds whose moduli spaces of complete metrics with $\sec\ge 0$ have infinitely many co…
In this paper, we show that steady or shrinking complete gradient Yamabe solitons with finite total scalar curvature and non-positive Ricci curvature are Ricci flat. Moreover, under certain pinching condition for Ricci curvature, we show that steady or shrinking complete gradient Yamabe solitons with finite total scalar curvature and non-positive scalar curvature have zero scalar curvature.
We use numerical techniques to study the formation of singularities in Ricci flow. Comparing the Ricci flows corresponding to a one parameter family of initial geometries on S^3 with varying amounts of S^2 neck pinching, we find critical behavior at the threshold of singularity formation.
We consider the problem of deforming a one-parameter family of hypersurfaces immersed into closed Riemannian manifolds with positive curvature operator. The hypersurface in this family satisfies mean curvature flow while the ambient metric satisfying the normalized Ricci flow. We prove that if the initial metric of the background manifold is sufficiently pinched and the initial hypersurface also satisfies a suitable pinching condition, then either the hypersurfaces shrink to a round point in finite time or converge to a totally geodesic sphere as the time tends to infinity.
Some new differentiable sphere theorems are obtained via the Ricci flow and stable currents. We prove that if $M^n$ is a compact manifold whose normalized scalar curvature and sectional curvature satisfy the pointwise pinching condition $R_0>σ_{n}K_{\max}$, where $σ_n\in (\frac{1}{4},1)$ is an explicit positive constant, then $M$ is diffeomorphic to a spherical space form. This gives a partial answer to Yau's conjecture on pinching theorem. Moreover, we prove that if $M^n(n\geq3)$ is a compact manifold whose $(n-2)$-th Ricci curvature and normalized scalar curvature satisfy the pointwise condi…
We prove Gaussian type bounds for the fundamental solution of the conjugate heat equation evolving under the Ricci flow. As a consequence, for dimension 4 and higher, we show that the backward limit of type I $κ$-solutions of the Ricci flow must be a non-flat gradient shrinking Ricci soliton. This extends Perelman's previous result on backward limits of $κ$-solutions in dimension 3, in which case that the curvature operator is nonnegative (follows from Hamilton-Ivey curvature pinching estimate). The Gaussian bounds that we obtain on the fundamental solution of the conjugate heat equation under…
We prove that if the initial hypersurface of the mean curvature flow in spheres satisfies a sharp pinching condition, then the solution of the flow converges to a round point or a totally geodesic sphere. Our result improves the famous convergence theorem due to Huisken [9]. Moreover, we prove a convergence theorem under the weakly pinching condition. In particular, we obtain a classification theorem for weakly pinched hypersurfaces. It should be emphasized that our pinching condition implies that the Ricci curvature of the initial hypersurface is positive, but does not imply positivity of the…
We study the Ricci flow for initial metrics with positive isotropic curvature (strictly PIC for short). In the first part of this paper, we prove new curvature pinching estimates which ensure that blow-up limits are uniformly PIC in all dimensions. Moreover, in dimension $n \geq 12$, we show that blow-up limits are weakly PIC2. This can be viewed as a higher-dimensional version of the fundamental Hamilton-Ivey pinching estimate in dimension $3$. In the second part, we develop a theory of ancient solutions which have bounded curvature; are $κ$-noncollapsed; are weakly PIC2; and are uniformly PI…
Using an analogue of Myers' theorem for minimal surfaces and three dimensional topology, we prove the diameter sphere theorem for Ricci curvature in dimension three and a corresponding eigenvalue pinching theorem. This settles these two open problems for closed 3 manifolds with positive Ricci curvature since they are both false in dimensions greater than three.
In this paper, we prove that if the initial submanifold $M_0$ of dimension $n(\ge6)$ satisfies an optimal pinching condition, then the mean curvature flow of arbitrary codimension in hyperbolic spaces converges to a round point in finite time. In particular, we obtain the optimal differentiable sphere theorem for submanifolds in hyperbolic spaces. It should be emphasized that our pinching condition implies that the Ricci curvature of the initial submanifold is positive, but does not imply positivity of the sectional curvature of $M_0$.
We characterize the conjugate linearized Ricci flow and the associated backward heat kernel on closed three--manifolds of bounded geometry. We discuss their properties, and introduce the notion of Ricci flow conjugated constraint sets which characterizes a way of Ricci flow averaging metric dependent geometrical data. We also provide an integral representation of the Ricci flow metric itself and of its Ricci tensor in terms of the heat kernel of the conjugate linearized Ricci flow. These results, which readily extend to closed n-dimensional manifolds, yield for various conservation laws, monot…
We derive some elliptic differential inequalities from the Weitzenböck formulas for the traceless Ricci tensor of a Kähler manifold with constant scalar curvature and the Bochner tensor of a Kähler-Einstein manifold respectively. Using elliptic estimates and maximum principle, some $L^p$ and $L^\infty $ pinching results are established to characterize Kähler-Einstein manifolds among Kähler manifolds with constant scalar curvature, and others are given to characterize complex space forms among Kähler-Einstein manifolds. Finally, these pinching results may be combined to characterize complex spa…
In this paper we study collapsing sequences M_{i}-> X of Riemannian manifolds with curvature bounded or bounded away from a controlled subset. We introduce a structure over X which in an appropriate sense is dual to the N-structure of Cheeger, Fukaya and Gromov. As opposed to the N-structure, which live over the M_{i} themselves, this structure lives over X and allows for a convenient notion of global convergence as well as the appropriate background structure for doing analysis on X. This structure is new even in the case of uniformly bounded curvature and as an application we give a generali…
In this paper we apply techniques from optimal transport to study the neckpinch examples of Angenent-Knopf which arise through the Ricci flow on $\mathbb{S}^{n+1}$. In particular, we recover their proof of 'single-point pinching' along the flow. Using the methods of optimal transportation, we are able to remove the assumption of reflection symmetry for the metric. Our argument relies on the heuristic for weak Ricci flow proposed by McCann-Topping which characterizes super solutions of the Ricci flow by the contractivity of diffusions.
We prove that some Riemannian manifolds with boundary under an explicit integral pinching are spherical space forms. Precisely, we show that 3-dimensional Riemannian manifolds with totally geodesic boundary, positive scalar curvature and an explicit integral pinching between the $L^2$-norm of their scalar curvature and the $L^2$-norm of their Ricci tensor are spherical space forms with totally geodesic boundary. Moreover, we prove also that 4-dimensional Riemannian manifolds with umbilic boundary, positive Yamabe invariant and an explicit integral pinching between the total integral of their $…
In this paper,we prove the following Myers-type theorem: if $(M^n,g)$, $n\geq 3$, is an n-dimensional complete locally conformally flat Riemannian manifold with bounded Ricci curvature satisfying the Ricci pinching condition $Rc\geq εRg>0$, where $ε>0$ is an uniform constant, then $M^n$ must be compact.
This is a survey paper focusing on the interplay between the curvature and topology of a Riemannian manifold. The first part of the paper provides a background discussion, aimed at non-experts, of Hopf's pinching problem and the Sphere Theorem. In the second part, we sketch the proof of the Differentiable Sphere Theorem, and discuss various related results. These results employ a variety of methods, including geodesic and minimal surface techniques as well as Hamilton's Ricci flow.
In earlier work, carrying out numerical simulations of the Ricci flow of families of rotationally symmetric geometries on $S3$, we have found strong support for the contention that (at least in the rotationally symmetric case) the Ricci flow for a ``critical'' initial geometry - one which is at the transition point between initial geometries (on $S^3$) whose volume-normalized Ricci flows develop a singular neck pinch, and other initial geometries whose volume normalized Ricci flows converge to a round sphere - evolves into a ``degenerate neck pinch.'' That is, we have seen in this earlier work…
