Remarks on critical metrics of the scalar curvature and volume functionals on compact manifolds with boundary

We provide a general B\"ochner type formula which enables us to prove some rigidity results for $V$-static spaces. In particular, we show that an $n$-dimensional positive static triple with connected boundary and positive scalar curvature must be isometric to the standard hemisphere, provided that the metric has zero radial Weyl curvature and satisfies a suitable pinching condition. Moreover, we classify $V$-static spaces with non-negative sectional curvature.Comment: Fixed typo

Minimal volume invariants, topological sphere theorems and biorthogonal curvature on 4-manifolds

The goal of this article is to establish estimates involving the Yamabe minimal volume, mixed minimal volume and some topological invariants on compact 4-manifolds. In addition, we provide topological sphere theorems for compact submanifolds of spheres and Euclidean spaces, provided that the full norm of the second fundamental form is suitably bounded.Comment: To appear in Mathematische Nachrichte

Bach-flat noncompact steady quasi-Einstein manifolds

The goal of this article is to study the geometry of Bach-flat noncompact steady quasi-Einstein manifolds. We show that a Bach-flat noncompact steady quasi-Einstein manifold $(M^{n},\,g)$ with positive Ricci curvature such that its potential function has at least one critical point must be a warped product with Einstein fiber. In addition, the fiber has constant curvature if $n = 4.$Comment: To appear in Archiv der Mathemati

4-dimensional compact manifolds with nonnegative biorthogonal curvature

The goal of this article is to study the pinching problem proposed by S.-T. Yau in 1990 replacing sectional curvature by one weaker condition on biorthogonal curvature. Moreover, we classify 4-dimensional compact oriented Riemannian manifolds with nonnegative biorthogonal curvature. In particular, we obtain a partial answer to Yau Conjecture on pinching theorem for 4-dimensional compact manifolds.Comment: To appear in the Michigan Mathematical Journa

A note on the uniqueness of quasi-Einstein metrics on Hn×R\Bbb{H}^{n}\times \Bbb{R}

The aim of this note is to give an explicit description of quasi-Einstein metrics on $\Bbb{H}^{n}\times \Bbb{R}.$ We shall construct two examples of quasi-Einstein metrics on this manifold and then we shall prove the uniqueness of these examples. Finally, we shall describe the closed relation between quasi-Einstein metrics and static metrics in the quoted space.Comment: Updated version. All comments are welcome

Volume functional of compact 44-manifolds with a prescribed boundary metric

We prove that a critical metric of the volume functional on a $4$-dimensional compact manifold with boundary satisfying a second-order vanishing condition on the Weyl tensor must be isometric to a geodesic ball in a simply connected space form $\mathbb{R}^{4}$, $\mathbb{H}^{4}$ or $\mathbb{S}^{4}.$ Moreover, we provide an integral curvature estimate involving the Yamabe constant for critical metrics of the volume functional, which allows us to get a rigidity result for such critical metrics.Comment: To appear in The Journal of Geometric Analysi

Geometric Inequalities for Critical Metrics of the Volume Functional

The goal of this article is to investigate the geometry of critical metrics of the volume functional on an $n$-dimensional compact manifold with (possibly disconnected) boundary. We establish sharp estimates to the mean curvature and area of the boundary components of critical metrics of the volume functional on a compact manifold. In addition, localized version estimates to the mean curvature and area of the boundary of critical metrics are also obtained.Comment: Fixed typo

Critical metrics of the total scalar curvature functional on 4-manifolds

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the critical points of the total scalar curvature functional restricted to space of metrics with constant scalar curvature of unitary volume, for simplicity CPE metrics. It was conjectured in $1980$'s that every CPE metric must be Einstein. We prove that a $4$-dimensional CPE metric with harmonic tensor $W^+$ must be isometric to a round sphere $\Bbb{S}^4.$Comment: To appear in Mathematische Nachrichte

Four-manifolds with positive curvature

In this note we prove that a four-dimensional compact oriented half-confor\-mally flat Riemannian manifold $M^4$ is topologically $\mathbb{S}^{4}$ or $\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^{2},$ provided that the sectional curvatures all lie in the interval $[\frac{3\sqrt{3}-5}{4},\,1].$ In addition, we use the notion of biorthogonal (sectional) curvature to obtain a pinching condition which guarantees that a four-dimensional compact manifold is homeomorphic to a connected sum of copies of the complex projective plane or the $4$-sphere.Comment: Revised versio

Bach-flat critical metrics of the volume functional on 4-dimensional manifolds with boundary

The purpose of this article is to investigate Bach-flat critical metrics of the volume functional on a compact manifold $M$ with boundary $\partial M.$ Here, we prove that a Bach-flat critical metric of the volume functional on a simply connected 4-dimensional manifold with boundary isometric to a standard sphere must be isometric to a geodesic ball in a simply connected space form $\Bbb{R}^{4},$ $\Bbb{H}^{4}$ or $\Bbb{S}^{4}$. Moreover, we show that in dimension three the result even is true replacing the Bach-flat condition by the weaker assumption that $M$ has divergence-free Bach tensor.Comment: To appear in The Journal of Geometric Analysi