Asymptotically hyperbolic normalized Ricci flow and rotational symmetry

We consider the normalized Ricci flow evolving from an initial metric which is conformally compactifiable and asymptotically hyperbolic. We show that there is a unique evolving metric which remains in this class, and that the flow exists up to the time where the norm of the Riemann tensor diverges. Restricting to initial metrics which belong to this class and are rotationally symmetric, we prove that if the sectional curvature in planes tangent to the orbits of symmetry is initially nonpositive, the flow starting from such an initial metric exists for all time. Moreover, if the sectional curvature in planes tangent to these orbits is initially negative, the flow converges at an exponential rate to standard hyperbolic space. This restriction on sectional curvature automatically rules out initial data admitting a minimal hypersphere.Comment: 28 pages, replaced one-word error in two locations on page

Yamabe flow on manifolds with edges

Let (M,g) be a compact oriented Riemannian manifold with an incomplete edge singularity. This article shows that it is possible to evolve g by the Yamabe flow within a class of singular edge metrics. As the main analytic step we establish parabolic Schauder-type estimates for the heat operator on certain H\"older spaces adapted to the singular edge geometry. We apply these estimates to obtain local existence for a variety of quasilinear equations, including the Yamabe flow. This provides a setup for a subsequent discussion of the Yamabe problem using flow techniques in the singular setting.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, v2: minor improvements, references added, organizational change

H\"older Compactification for some manifolds with pinched negative curvature near infinity

We consider a complete noncompact Riemannian manifold M and give conditions on a compact submanifold K of M so that the outward normal exponential map off of the boundary of K is a diffeomorphism onto M\K. We use this to compactify M and show that pinched negative sectional curvature outside K implies M has a compactification with a well defined H\"older structure independent of K. The H\"older constant depends on the ratio of the curvature pinching. This extends and generalizes a 1985 result of Anderson and Schoen.Comment: 27 pages, 1 figur

Renormalized volume and the evolution of APEs

We study the evolution of the renormalized volume functional for asymptotically Poincare-Einstein metrics (M,g) which are evolving by normalized Ricci flow. In particular, we prove that the time derivative of the renormalized volume along the flow is the negative integral of scal(g(t)) + n(n-1) over the manifold. This implies that if scal(g(0))+n(n-1) is non-negative at t=0, then the renormalized volume decreases monotonically. We also discuss how, when n=4, our results describe the Hawking-Page phase transition. Differences in renormalized volumes give rigorous meaning to the Hawking-Page difference of actions and describe the free energy liberated in the transition.Comment: 15 pages; errors corrected and section 4 modifie

Short-time existence for some higher-order geometric flows

We establish short-time existence and regularity for higher-order flows generated by a class of polynomial natural tensors that, after an adjustment by the Lie derivative of the metric with respect to a suitable vector field, have strongly parabolic linearizations. We apply this theorem to flows by powers of the Laplacian of the Ricci tensor, and to flows generated by the ambient obstruction tensor. As a special case, we prove short-time existence for a type of Bach flow.Comment: 17 page

Conformal compactification of asymptotically locally hyperbolic metrics

In this paper we study the extent to which conformally compact asymptotically hyperbolic metrics may be characterized intrinsically. Building on the work of the first author, we prove that decay of sectional curvature to -1 and decay of covariant derivatives of curvature outside an appropriate compact set yield H\"older regularity for a conformal compactification of the metric. In the Einstein case, we prove that the estimate on the sectional curvature implies the control of all covariant derivatives of the Weyl tensor, permitting us to strengthen our result

Long-time existence of the edge Yamabe flow

This article presents an analysis of the normalized Yamabe flow starting at and preserving a class of compact Riemannian manifolds with incomplete edge singularities and negative Yamabe invariant. Our main results include uniqueness, long-time existence and convergence of the edge Yamabe flow starting at a metric with everywhere negative scalar curvature. Our methods include novel maximum principle results on the singular edge space without using barrier functions. Moreover, our uniform bounds on solutions are established by a new ansatz without in any way using or redeveloping Krylov-Safonov estimates in the singular setting. As an application we obtain a solution to the Yamabe problem for incomplete edge metrics with negative Yamabe invariant using flow techniques. Our methods lay groundwork for studying other flows like the mean curvature flow as well as the porous medium equation in the singular setting.Comment: 38 page

Uniqueness for Some Higher-Order Geometric Flows

We show that solutions to certain higher-order intrinsic geometric flows on a compact manifold, including some flows generated by the ambient obstruction tensor, are unique. With the goal of providing a complete self-contained proof, details surrounding map covariant derivatives and a careful application of the DeTurck trick are provided.Comment: 15 page

Ricci Flow and Volume Renormalizability

With respect to any special boundary defining function, a conformally compact asymptotically hyperbolic metric has an asymptotic expansion near its conformal infinity. If this expansion is even to a certain order and satisfies one extra condition, then it is possible to define its renormalized volume and show that it is independent of choices that preserve this evenness structure. We prove that such expansions are preserved under normalized Ricci flow. We also study the variation of curvature functionals in this setting, and as one application, obtain the variation formula $$\frac{{\rm d}}{{\rm d}t} {\rm RenV}\big(M^n, g(t)\big) = -\mathop{\vphantom{T}}^R \! \! \! \int_{M^n} (S(g(t))+n(n-1)) {\rm d}V_{g(t)},$$ where $S(g(t))$ is the scalar curvature for the evolving metric $g(t)$, and $\mathop{\vphantom{T}}^R \! \! \! \int (\cdot) {\rm d}V_g$ is Riesz renormalization. This extends our earlier work to a broader class of metrics.Comment: 21 page

Intrinsic characterization for Lipschitz asymptotically hyperbolic metrics

Conformally compact asymptotically hyperbolic metrics have been intensively studied. The goal of this note is to understand what intrinsic conditions on a complete Riemannian manifold (M,g) will ensure that g is asymptotically hyperbolic in this sense. We use the geodesic compactification by asymptotic geodesic rays to compactify M and appropriate curvature decay conditions to study the regularity of the conformal compactification. We also present an interesting example that shows our conclusion is nearly optimal for our assumptions.Comment: 18 pages; correction to Theorem