You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Riemann curvature’ tag.

We now begin the study of (smooth) solutions $t \mapsto (M(t),g(t))$ to the Ricci flow equation

$\frac{d}{dt} g_{\alpha \beta} = - 2 \hbox{Ric}_{\alpha \beta}$, (1)

particularly for compact manifolds in three dimensions. Our first basic tool will be the maximum principle for parabolic equations, which we will use to bound (sub-)solutions to nonlinear parabolic PDE by (super-)solutions, and vice versa. Because the various curvatures $\hbox{Riem}_{\alpha \beta \gamma}^\delta$, $\hbox{Ric}_{\alpha \beta}$, R of a manifold undergoing Ricci flow do indeed obey nonlinear parabolic PDE (see equations (31) from Lecture 1), we will be able to obtain some important lower bounds on curvature, and in particular establishes that the curvature is either bounded, or else that the positive components of the curvature dominate the negative components. This latter phenomenon, known as the Hamilton-Ivey pinching phenomenon, is particularly important when studying singularities of Ricci flow, as it means that the geometry of such singularities is almost completely dominated by regions of non-negative (and often quite high) curvature.

Next week (starting on Wednesday, to be more precise), I will begin my class on Perelman’s proof of the Poincaré conjecture. As I only have ten weeks in which to give this proof, I will have to move rapidly through some of the more basic aspects of Riemannian geometry which will be needed throughout the course. In particular, in this preliminary lecture, I will quickly review the basic notions of infinitesimal (or microlocal) Riemannian geometry, and in particular defining the Riemann, Ricci, and scalar curvatures of a Riemannian manifold. (The more “global” aspects of Riemannian geometry, for instance concerning the relationship between distance, curvature, injectivity radius, and volume, will be discussed later in this course.) This is a review only, in particular omitting any leisurely discussion of examples or motivation for Riemannian geometry; it is impossible to compress this subject into a single lecture, and I will have to refer you to a textbook on the subject for a more complete treatment (I myself am using the text “Riemannian geometry” by my colleague here at UCLA, Peter Petersen).

Recent Comments

 Anonymous on The Euler-Maclaurin formula, B… gninrepoli on A computational perspective on… gninrepoli on A computational perspective on… gninrepoli on A computational perspective on… gninrepoli on A computational perspective on… Helmholtz: El Origen… on The strong law of large n… Morris W. Hirsch on The completeness and compactne… Mike on The completeness and compactne… State Pary on It ought to be common knowledg… Clarify and justify… on 254A, Supplement 4: Probabilis… Franky_GTH on It ought to be common knowledg… Franky_GTH on It ought to be common knowledg… Franky_GTH on The blue-eyed islanders puzzle… Franky_GTH on It ought to be common knowledg… Maths student on Notes on the Bombieri asymptot…