Questions tagged [riemannian-geometry]
Riemannian Geometry is a subfield of Differential Geometry, which specifically studies "Riemannian Manifolds", manifolds with "Riemannian Metrics", which means that they are equipped with continuous inner products.
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Are shortest halving curves simple closed geodesics?
Let $S$ be a smooth convex surface in $\mathbb{R}^3$
(although my question may as well be asked for the surface of a polyhedron).
Say that $\gamma$ is a shortest halving curve if
(a) it partitions the ...
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The Cauchy Problem in General Relativity: Existence of a Hausdorff Development
This is related to a problem that I posed about a year ago. I was given several references by a number of experts who were kind enough to entertain my rather arcane question. Those references were ...
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If there is a dense geodesic, are almost all geodesics equidistributed? Dense?
Let $M$ be a complete finite volume Riemannian manifold and $\gamma : \mathbb{R}^{\geq 0} \to M$ a geodesic. Suppose that $\mathrm{im}(\gamma)$ is dense. Is it equidistributed in the Riemannian ...
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How to define the square root of $1-\Delta $?
If $M$ is a Riemannian manifold with $\Delta $ its Laplacian, how can we define $(1-\Delta)^{1/2}$?
The book I am reading says that $(1-\Delta)^{1/2}$ is an invertible first-order pseudo-differential ...
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Is there any progress on Problem 12 (from Schoen and Yau)?
I saw the following question from the "Problem Section" in Schoen and Yau, page 281, problem 12:
Let $M_1, M_2$ each have negative curvature. If $\pi_1 (M_1)=\pi_1 (M_2)$, prove that $M_1$ is ...
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The surjectivity of the exponential map for the isometry group
Little is known on general conditions guaranteeing that the exponential map between a Lie algebra and an associated Lie group is surjective.
Let $M$ be a noncompact connected Riemann manifold, and $G$...
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Question about a particular estimate in Riemannian geometry
I have been studying the book Some Nonlinear Problems In Riemannian Geometry - Thierry Aubin. On page $46$ he begins the proof of the Sobolev imbedding theorem to manifolds. The proof is divided in ...
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The Chern connection on a Hermitian symmetric domain
There's a connection (the Chern connection) on the Tangent Bundle of a Kahler Manifold which is compatible with both the hermitan metric, and the holomorphic structure. In general, I guess there's no ...
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The points of half area of a triangle
Let $S$ be a simply connected Riemannan surface . Suppose $\Delta ABC$ is a triangle on $S$. The Area of a triangle is denoted by $\mathcal{A}$. A point $P$ in the interior of $\Delta ABC$ is ...
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Quadric functions on a Riemannian manifold
Let $(M,g)$ be a Riemannian manifold such that the parallel transport along every simple closed curve is the identity operator. A smooth function $f:M\to \mathbb{R}$ is called a quadric function if ...
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totally geodesic submanifold of Heisenberg group
Let $G= \left\{ \begin{pmatrix} 1&a&c\\0&1&b\\0&0&0 \end{pmatrix} \mid a,b,c\in \mathbb{R} \right\}$ be the Heisenberg group. Is there a compact codimension one submanifold ...
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Obstructions to Einstein metrics in high dimensions
It is well known that there exists three and four manifolds that do not admit an Einstein metric, but I wonder if this question is still open for manifolds of dimension higher than four. That is, does ...
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$G_2$ and Geometry
In a recent question Deane Yang mentioned the beautiful Riemannian geometry that comes up when looking at $G_2$. I am wondering if people could expand on the geometry related to the exceptional Lie ...
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What is the difference between $\delta W^{\pm}=0$ and Einstein?
Maybe this is a vague question. In Besse's book Einstein manifolds, $\delta W^{\pm}=0$ is considered as a generalization of Einstein metrics on four-manifolds. I was wondering what is the difference ...
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Decomposition of $\mathrm{O}(n)$-modules coming from differential geometry
Let $V$ be a $n$-dimensional real vector space equipped with a positively definite scalar product $g$ and let $\mathrm{O}(n)$ be the automorphism group of $(V,g)$. View $V^{\otimes k}$ as a $\mathrm{O}...
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Analytic representatives for Kahler classes
If we are given compact complex manifold $X$ and a Kahler class $[\omega]$,
can we always find a positive definite representative $\omega \in [\omega]$ that is
real analytic?
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Computations with the distance function on a Riemannian manifold
Let $(M,g)$ be a complete Riemannian, connected, compact manifold (with or without boundary). Let $f(r)$ be a decreasing function of $r =$ geodesic distance. If $\Omega \subset M$, then
$$ \int_{\...
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Hessian eigenspaces form integrable distributions on a Riemannian manifold?
Suppose $M$ is a Riemannian manifold and $f:M\to\mathbb{R}$ a differentiable function. I can form the Hessian $H$ of $f$ (with respect to the Levi-Civita connection); this is a symmetric bilinear ...
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Special Riemannian connections?
Assume that $E$ is a bundle of Lie Algebras. Let $g$ be an invariant metric on $E$, that is for all $p\in M$, $$g_p([x,y],z)+g_p(y,[x,z])=0,$$ where $x,y,z\in E_p$ are arbitrary.
Is there a ...
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Is the group of isometries of a homogeneous Riemannian manifold maximal?
I have a homogeneous Riemannian manifold X with isometry group Iso. Is Iso a maximal group? By maximal group, I mean that there does not exist another group G such that:
Iso is a proper subgroup of G,...
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On the volume entropy of negatively curved manifolds
Let $X$ be the universal cover of a closed negatively curved Riemannian manifold. Let $x_0\in X$ be a base point, $S$ be the unit sphere in $T_{x_0}X$ and $\exp:T_{x_0}X\rightarrow X$ be the ...
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Harmonic Function with special property
I would appreciate any help with the following problem:
Let $(M,g)$ be a 3 dimensional Riemann manifold with boundary. Let $ \Gamma $ be a surface of sufficient regularity dividing M into two ...
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Variational inequality on Manifold
Let $(M,g)$ be a Riemannian manifold. Consider $A : W^{1,r}(M,\mathbb{R}) \rightarrow W^{-1,r'}(M,\mathbb{R}), k \mapsto Ak$, where $Ak$ is defined by $(Ak)(\varphi) = \int_{M}g(\nabla k, \nabla \...
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A question on Schrodinger operator
I am not sure whether I should ask for help here or math stackexchange. I got trouble with an inequality involving the Schrodinger operator on manifolds. Any suggestion is appreciated!
Let $(M,g)$ be ...
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Volume bounds of balls in Riemannian manifolds
Let $(M,g)$ be a complete Riemannian manifold and suppose $\mathrm{Ric}(g) \geq -k$ for some $k>0$. Suppose we know that $\mathrm{vol}_g (B_1^g (x_0)) \geq \nu$ for some particular $x_0 \in M$ and ...
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Volume of geodesic balls
I have two questions (somewhat related) regarding local geometry on a SMOOTH, COMPACT Riemannian manifold. I still have a hard time getting a "good" understanding of local geometry.
Question 1:
It ...
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Heat Kernel Asymptotics with low regularity
Let $M$ be a smooth manifold with Riemannian metric $g$, which is not smooth but only continuous.
Question: Is there still an asymptotic expansion of the heat kernel of the form
$$ p_t(x, y) \sim (4 \...
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Coarse geometry of minimal surfaces in non-positively curved manifolds
Let $X$ be a simply-connected Riemannian manifold of non-positive curvature and $S\subset X$ be a complete minimal surface.
(You can basically image $X$ as a ball and $S$ as an embedded disk whose ...
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Avoiding integers in the spectrum of the Laplacian of a Riemann surface
Let $\Sigma^2$ be an orientable compact surface of genus $gen(\Sigma)\geq2$, and denote by $\mathcal M(\Sigma)$ the moduli space of hyperbolic metrics on $\Sigma$, i.e., Riemannian metrics of constant ...
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$\mathbb{CP}^1$-structures and hyperbolic Gauss maps
Let $\Sigma$ be a closed surface of genus at least $2$.
Put a quasi-Fuchsian $\mathbb{CP}^1$-structure (i.e. complex projective structure) on $\Sigma$. Thus the universal cover $\tilde{\Sigma}$ is ...
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Taylor expansion of the determinant of a Riemannian metric
Let $(M,g)$ be a compact Riemannian manifold without boundary. Fix a point $x\in M$ and $N\ge 2$ large. Then there exists a metric $\tilde g$, conformal to $g$ such that $$ \det \tilde g=1+O(r^N)$$ ...
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Describe all differentiable functions on $\mathbb{S}^n \backslash S$ (S is the south pole) [closed]
Consider the sphere $\mathbb{S}^n$ embedded in $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$. Let $N$ be the north pole of the sphere and $S$ the south pole. Every point on $\mathbb{S}^n \backslash \{N,S\}$ is defined uniquely ...
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local approximation of a vector field on a Riemannian manifold
Let $(M^n,g)$ be a Riemannian manifold, and let $V$ be a $C^{\infty}$ vector field on $M$. Is it possible to locally approximate $V$ by gradient vector fields $\nabla f_i$, such that the $L^{\infty}$-...
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Application of conformal normal coordinates for higher order elliptic operator
Let $n>2$ be even. Consider a compact Riemannian manifold $(M^n,g)$ and denote with $P_g$ the critical GJMS operator.
Recall that $P_g$ is conformally invariant, i.e.
$$P_{\tilde g}=e^{-nu}P_g$$ ...
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de Rahm Laplace operator on forms bounded
Let $M$ be a closed differentiable manifold. Let $E^{p}(M)$ be the vector space of $p$-forms on $M$ equipped with the $L^{2}$-inner product $(\alpha, \beta) = \int_{M}\alpha \wedge \star \beta$. The ...
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Can we obtain topology results using analysis in metric measures spaces?
Let $M$ be a smooth compact manifold. It is known that a lower bound on the Ricci curvature is equivalent to the convexity of the entropy on $\mathcal{P}^2(M)$ (Von Rennesse and Sturm '05), but I don'...
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Geodesic equation from Christoffel symbols
Let $\mathcal{P}:=\mathcal{P}(\mathcal{X})$ be the manifold of all (strictly positive) probability vectors (distributions) on $\mathcal{X}=\{x_0,\dots,x_n\}$,
i.e., each $p=(p(x_0),\dots,p(x_n))\in \...
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Bounds on functions pullbacked via exponential map
Let us assume that $M$ is a compact Riemannian manifold (without boundary). For any point $x\in M$, we can pullback $C^\infty(M)$ functions to $T_x M$ via the exponential map, by setting
$$ (\exp_x^* ...
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Optimal Regularity for Invariance of Curvature under Isometries
It is well known that sectional curvature is an invariant under isometries. I wonder what the optimal regularity for this result to hold is (in terms of Hölder-spaces)?. It is classical that $C^3$-...
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Does there exist a closed manifold that can be given both a Euclidean and a Hyperbolic structure?
I originally asked this on math.stackexchange, where I asked if there could exist a closed manifold that could be given different geometric structures of constant curvature (not at the same time, of ...
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Factor of 2 In the Definition of Metric Contact Structure
In Blair's book and many many literatures, I see definition of a contact metric manifold which involves a relation
\begin{equation}
d\kappa \left( {X,Y} \right) = g\left( {X,\Phi Y} \right)
\end{...
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Relation between volume of reduced space and phase space
Let $G$ ba a compat Lie group and $\frak g$ be its Lie algebra, then by Marsden-Weinstein reduction theory we know that if $J:M\to \frak g^*$ be its equivariant moment map then the reduced space is $$...
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A special type of transitivity
Let $M$ be a smooth orientable manifold with volume form $\Omega$. Fix two pints $x,y \in M$. Put $A$=all volume preserving diffeomorphism of M which maps $x$ to $y$.
Define $B$=All linear volume ...
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Morse theory and adiabatic limits
Let's start with a product manifold $M\times N$, with a product Riemannian metric $g_M\oplus g_N$. Consider a generic Morse function $f(x, y)$ on $M\times N$. Then its critical points are discrete and ...
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A Scalar Curvature Computation in Brendle Marques Neves' Min-Oo Conjecture paper
I'm reading a paper on the Min-Oo Conjecture (http://arxiv.org/abs/1004.3088), and I'm stuck on the following step in a proposition:
Given a metric $g_0(t)$ on the upper hemisphere $\mathbb{S}^n_+$, ...
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Question about conjugate points
If there exist two geodesics from $p$ to $q$ that are not only different from each other but also infinitesimally close to each other, then it implies that $q$ is conjugate to $p$.
Can anyone give an ...
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If there exists a nontrivial vector field $V$ such that $\nabla_{X}V=0$ for any vector field $X$, the manifold must be flat?
If there exists a nontrivial vector field $V\not=0$ in Riemannian manifold $M$ and an open set $U\subset M$ such that $\nabla_{X}V=0$ in $U$ for any vector field $X$ in $M$, then dose $U$ have to be ...
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Shortest geodesic loop vs. shortest periodic geodesic
Are there simple conditions on a Riemannian metric on the two-sphere that imply that a geodesic loop of minimal length is actually a periodic geodesic?
For example, is this true for small ...
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Riemannian metric and Volume form for $SE(n)$ and/or $E(n)$
I wonder what happens when you construct the Tiling spaces considering the natural action of $SE(n)$ or $E(n)$ rather than $\mathbb R^n$. In order to do that, I need to understand both the (left ...
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curvature and volume growth
Let $M$ be a non-compact connected Riemannian manifold with $\mathrm{sec}_g=0$ and $\operatorname{vol} B(x,r)\geq c(n)r^n$ for any $r$, where $c(n)>0$. How to prove that $(M,g)$ is isometric to $(R^...
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