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14 votes
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An unpublished paper of Thurston about diffeomorphism groups

William Thurston has done many contributions in the field of diffeomorphism groups. But it seems that one of his papers entitled "On the Structure of the Group of Volume Preserving Diffeomorphisms" ...
XIII's user avatar
  • 747
13 votes
3 answers
2k views

Isometry group of a compact hyperbolic surface

Consider a compact surface $M$ of genus $g \geq 2$ with a metric of constant negative curvature. My question is, is it known under what sorts of sufficient conditions such a metric will have non-...
user82102's user avatar
  • 133
13 votes
4 answers
2k views

Algebraic surfaces and their (intrinsic) geometry

Recently I began to consider algebraic surfaces, that is, the zero set of a polynomial in 3 (or more variables). My algebraic geometry background is poor, and I'm more used to differential and ...
Dror Atariah's user avatar
13 votes
4 answers
3k views

General Relativity and Differential Geometry intuitions of Second Bianchi Identity

In General Relativity, one uses the Riemann Tensor in its coordinate form $R_{abcd}$, and proves the Second Bianchi Identity- $R_{abcd;e} + R_{abde;c} + R_{abec;d} = 0$ It is said that ...
Amir Sagiv's user avatar
  • 3,574
13 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is there a solution of the Yamabe problem using Ricci flow?

Someone told me that it is possible to solve the Yamabe problem using Ricci flow. The proof I know of is the one originally proposed by Yamabe and then completed by Trudinger, Aubin and Schoen (in ...
Hollis Williams's user avatar
13 votes
1 answer
2k views

Convenient definition of "category of Riemannian manifolds"?

Has a notion of "category of Riemannian manifolds" been defined and used in the literature? For which reasons is it or would it (not) be a useful notion? I think the objects should be all (perhaps ...
Qfwfq's user avatar
  • 23.3k
13 votes
1 answer
1k views

Are there textbooks on differential geometry in the language of smooth sets or smooth derived stacks?

In differential geometry it is often natural to speak of infinite-dimensional manifolds (e.g., the manifold of mappings between two smooth manifolds). Different versions of generalized smooth spaces ...
13 votes
1 answer
1k views

Aleksandrov's proof of the second order differentiability of convex functions

Aleksandrov [A], proved a remarkable property of convex functions. Theorem. If $f:\mathbb{R}^n\to\mathbb{R}$ is convex, then for almost every $x\in\mathbb{R}^n$ there is $Df(x)\in\mathbb{R}^n$ and ...
Piotr Hajlasz's user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
789 views

Geometric characterization of martingales

Recently I've read a paraphrasing from Ito saying that he sometimes thinks of martingales as geodesics in a very large dimensional manifold. My question is, is there any research studying this idea? ...
ABIM's user avatar
  • 5,405
13 votes
1 answer
481 views

A question on a result of Colin de Verdière

Consider a compact connected surface $M$ of some genus $\gamma \geq 2$. A particular case of a famous result of Colin de Verdière (see Construction de laplaciens dont une partie finie du spectre est ...
SMS's user avatar
  • 1,407
13 votes
0 answers
364 views

What is known about differentiable and analytic structures on the long line (and half-line)?

When reading about this question which recently became active for some reason, I wanted to make a comment, as a warning regarding non-metrizable manifolds, to the effect that the every $C^\infty$ ...
Gro-Tsen's user avatar
  • 32.5k
13 votes
0 answers
872 views

Geometric meaning of the black hole horizon

It is widely accepted that the singularity of the Schwarzschild metric at the event horizon is purely an artifact of the coordinates and no physical singularity exists at the horizon. However, as ...
Zurab Silagadze's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
2k views

Sard's Theorem For Banach Spaces

Given a smooth map from $\phi: B \rightarrow M$ where $B$ is a Banach Space and $M$ is a finite dimensional smooth manifold (for example, the end point map for a control system), what is the strongest ...
Benjamin's user avatar
  • 2,099
12 votes
1 answer
1k views

Geometry of Whitehead manifolds.

I'm currently studying some problems about the Whitehead manifold $W$ (the open 3-manifold which is contractible but not homeomorphic to $\mathbb{R}^3$). Does there exists some survey paper on its ...
Thomas Richard's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
1k views

Multiplicity of Laplace eigenvalues

Disclaimer: This is a very heuristic question and I will be satisfied with heuristic insights, if rigorous and precise answers are not possible. All the examples of closed surfaces (or higher ...
user82132's user avatar
  • 121
12 votes
3 answers
1k views

A version of Lusternik–Schnirelmann category for good open covers

Recall that the Lusternik–Schnirelmann category (or LS-category) of a space is the integer $n$ such that there is an open cover by $n+1$ open sets which have nullhomotopic inclusions, and no such ...
David Roberts's user avatar
  • 35.5k
12 votes
1 answer
3k views

how to define the injectivity radius of manifolds with boundary?

For manifolds without boundary one defines the injectivity radius as the maximal radius where the exponential map is a diffeomorphism. One can then show that the injectivity radius is the maximum ...
quarague's user avatar
  • 687
12 votes
1 answer
726 views

Schemes over topological rings

I have recently been interested in studying an extension of 'usual' algebraic geometry to take into account the topology of $R$ in the definition of the affine scheme $\mathrm{Spec}\, (R)$ when the ...
Jonathan Gleason's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
281 views

Rigidity of doubled convex caps

Suppose that we have a convex cap, i.e., a convex surface in $R^3$ homeomorphic to a disk whose boundary lies in a plane. Reflect the cap through the plane of its boundary and glue it back to the ...
Mohammad Ghomi's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
1k views

What is a good introduction to cluster algebras from surfaces?

What is a good reference for cluster algebras from surfaces, with a view to their connection to Teichmuller theory? In my view, that means it should start off with unpunctured surfaces (and in fact,...
Hugh Thomas's user avatar
  • 6,292
12 votes
2 answers
1k views

Regularity of Hodge Laplacian on bounded domains

I need a reference for the $W^{s,p}$ regularity of the Hodge boundary value problem on bounded domains. I need estimates $\lVert \omega \rVert_{W^{s+2,p}} \leq c\lVert f\rVert_{W^{s,p}}$, $s\geq 0$ ...
Swarnendu Sil's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
680 views

Reference request: Gauge natural bundles, and calculus of variation via the equivariant bundle approach

Let $P\rightarrow M$ be a principal fibre bundle with structure group $G$, $F$ a manifold and $\alpha: G\times F\rightarrow F$ a smooth left action. There is an associated fibre bundle $E\rightarrow ...
Bence Racskó's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

Diffeology as a sheaf on the site of smooth manifolds

Souriau's definition of diffeology may be phrased as defining a concrete sheaf on the category $\mathsf{Open}$ of open subsets of Euclidean/coordinate spaces. It seems to me, unless I am missing ...
Eugene Lerman's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
1k views

What is the minimum-curvature curve interpolating a given set of points in the plane?

We are given a set $X$ of $n\ge 3$ points in $\mathbb{R}^2$, belonging to the boundary of the convex hull of $X$ itself. Let $\Gamma(X)$ be the set of all convex, simple closed curves in $\mathbb{R}^2$...
Penelope Benenati's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
2k views

A survey for various $K$-homology theories and their relationship

The ordinary Topological $K$ theory defined by Atiyah and Hirzebruch is a generalized cohomology theory (see wikipedia).There is the Bott spectrum associated to this generalized cohomology theory....
user2015's user avatar
  • 593
11 votes
3 answers
3k views

Looking for reference on gauge fields as connections.

Can anyone give me references where I would see a detailed exposition of how to translate gauge field theory as known to physicists into the language of connections. I am looking for a detailed ...
Anirbit's user avatar
  • 3,541
11 votes
2 answers
2k views

Retraction of a Riemannian manifold with boundary to its cut locus

This question is edited following the comment of Joseph. He pointed out that the main object of the first version of this question is the cut locus. Recall that the cut locus of a set $S$ in a ...
Dmitri Panov's user avatar
  • 28.9k
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

Non-compact manifolds of positive/non-negative Ricci curvature

Consider a non-compact complete Riemannian manifold $(M, g)$ with smooth compact boundary $\partial M$. Suppose also that $M \setminus \partial M$ has positive/non-negative Ricci curvature. My ...
user111682's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
617 views

Is there a unique "natural" action of $\mathsf{SL}_{n+1}$ on $\mathbb{R}^n$?

Context By acting naturally via $\mathsf{SL}_3$ on $\mathbb{RP}^2=\{[x:y:z]\}$ and by taking the induced action on the affine hyperplane $z=1$ (which we identify with $\mathbb{R}^2$), one can realize ...
Giovanni Moreno's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
701 views

Smooth map between oriented manifolds

Let $f: M\rightarrow N$ be a smooth map between smooth closed oriented connected manifolds of same dimension. Question: is it true that $f$ is smoothly homotopic to some smooth map $g: M\rightarrow N$...
GSM's user avatar
  • 223
11 votes
2 answers
2k views

Central extension of the algebraic loop group

I'm doing some constructions with the universal central extension $\widehat{\Omega G}$ of the loop group $\Omega G$ (here $G$ is a matrix group), where a priori the loops involved are just smooth, but ...
David Roberts's user avatar
  • 35.5k
11 votes
1 answer
940 views

Equivariant sections of fiber bundles

One of the fundamental facts in fiber bundle theory is the following result for existence and extension of sections (see Thm. 9 in this paper of Palais, and compare with Thm. 12.2 in Steenrod's book):...
Mohammad Ghomi's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
529 views

Length decreasing homotopies of curves

Let $M$ be smooth compact riemannian manifold with boundary and $\varphi_0: S^1\to M$ be a rectifiable curve (or a smooth one). I would like to find a reference to the following statement: Statement. ...
aglearner's user avatar
  • 14.3k
11 votes
0 answers
501 views

The cones for Bochner–Lichnerowicz–Weitzenböck formula

The Bochner–Lichnerowicz–Weitzenböck formula can be written the following way $$ \Delta \phi-\nabla^*\nabla \phi= R(\phi),$$ here $\phi$ is a section in a Dirac bundle and $R$ the something which can ...
ε-δ's user avatar
  • 1,785
10 votes
3 answers
2k views

nth term in the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula

I am trying to prove a result for which I need the nth term of the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula. I came at this particular result (which is not of significance for the question, but mentioning for ...
cleanplay's user avatar
  • 245
10 votes
2 answers
480 views

Geometric description of a certain sphere bundle

It appears to be a standard fact in topology that $\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^2\#-\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^2$ has a structure of a $\mathbb{S}^2$ bundle over $\mathbb{S}^2$. Is there a nice geometric ...
Alex Gavrilov's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

References for differential cohomology and differential characters

I am interested in learning differential cohomology and differential characters, and am currently studying these lecture notes on the subject. I sometimes feel it would be great if I could keep some ...
10 votes
1 answer
3k views

Taylor expansion of the metric tensor in the normal coordinates

I am looking for a reference with a Taylor expansion of the metric tensor in the normal coordinates. The coefficients should be written in terms of $\mathrm{Rm}, \nabla\mathrm{Rm}, \nabla^2\mathrm{Rm},...
Anton Petrunin's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
3k views

Algebraic Geometry needed for Kähler-Einstein metric

I am a Master's student interested in Differential Geometry / Geometric Analysis. Currently active research is going on in Kähler-Einstein / Extremal Kähler metric. I was wondering how much Algebraic ...
Bingo's user avatar
  • 789
10 votes
1 answer
707 views

Injectivity radius of manifolds with boundary

This question stems from the discussion in: how to define the injectivity radius of manifolds with boundary? Suppose $(M,g)$ is a compact Riemannian manifold with boundary. In this context, let ...
Ryan Vaughn's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
876 views

Are there nontrivial involutions of $S^7\times S^7$ with fixed point set homeo to $S^7$?

The group $\mathbb{Z}_2$ acts on $S^7\times S^7$ by switching the coordinates with fixed point set $\Delta(S^7\times S^7)\cong S^7$. I want to know whether there are some other $\mathbb{Z}_2$ actions ...
sara's user avatar
  • 888
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

Curves of constant curvature on an ellipsoid

It is not difficult to see that the curves of constant geodesic curvature on a geometric sphere are all circles: simple, closed curves that are geometric circles lying in a plane:    &...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
445 views

conditions for long geodesics without self-intersections

Consider a Riemannian manifold $\Sigma$ of dimension two homeomorphic to a torus. When is there a non-closed geodesic on $\Sigma$ which does not intersect itself — are there reasonable necessary or ...
Alex Gavrilov's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
484 views

References on quaternionic geometry

Is there any analog, in the quaternionic setting, of Kahler potentials? In particular I'm interested in a similar construction of the Fubini-Study 2-form on $\mathbb{P}^1(\mathbb{C})$ over the ...
cinzia bisi's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
938 views

Weyl law for (non-semiclassical) Schrodinger operator

The Weyl law for a semiclassical Schrodinger operator $$ A_h\ := \ -h^2\Delta+V(x) $$ on an $d$-dimensional complete Riemannian manifold $M$ says that the number $N(A_h,1)$ of eigenvalues of $A_h$ ...
Maxim Braverman's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
526 views

Two smooth tangent almost complex curves in a $4$-manifold

I would like to know if following is correct. Statement. Suppose we have a smooth (i.e., $C^\infty$) almost complex structure on $\mathbb R^4$ and $C_1, C_2$ are two $J$-holomorphic curves passing ...
aglearner's user avatar
  • 14.3k
10 votes
1 answer
470 views

Monograph or rich survey on infinite-dimensional Riemann manifolds

I'm working with the space of smooth curves $\mathcal{C}$ in a smooth manifold $M$, having (different, pre-determined) fixed endpoints. I'd like to endow it with a Riemann structure (I already have a ...
Alex M.'s user avatar
  • 5,407
10 votes
1 answer
459 views

Parallel transport on Riemannian symmetric spaces

What would be a reference for the following property of symmetric spaces? Given a smooth curve $\gamma : [0,1] \rightarrow M$ on a symmetric space $(M,g)$, there exists an isometry $\varphi : M \...
alvarezpaiva's user avatar
  • 13.5k
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

How does the lack of partitions of unity affect the structure of analytic/holomorphic manifolds?

The standard way to define integration on a smooth manifold is to use partitions of unity, to extend to the case where the form you're integrating isn't supported on just one coordinate patch. Of ...
Kevin Casto's user avatar
  • 3,139
10 votes
1 answer
403 views

Positive Ricci curvature on fiber bundles

My advisor and I are working on Ricci curvature and an anonymous referee pointed out the following conjecture: Let $F\hookrightarrow M\stackrel{\pi}{\to}B$ be a fiber bundle from a compact manifold ...
L.F. Cavenaghi's user avatar

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