Geometric analysis seminar
University of Oregon Geometric Analysis Seminar. Tuesdays at 11:00 in 260 Tykeson
December 10, Izar Alonso Lorenzo (Rutgers/SLMath)
Abstract: G_2-instantons are a special kind of connections on a Riemannian 7-manifold, analogues of anti-self-dual connections in 4 dimensions. I will start this talk by introducing G_2-instantons and their significance, and then describe new families of SU(2)^2-invariant G_2-instantons in cohomogeneity one manifolds with a coclosed G_2-structure.
October 8, Min Chen (University of Oregon)
Abstract: The geometric flow of hypersurfaces is an interesting and active area. Its importance lies in the applications in geometry and topology. For example, Huisken and Ilmanen in 2001 applied the inverse mean curvature flow to prove the famous Penrose conjecture; applying the inverse curvature flow, Guan and Li in 2009 proved the Alexandrov-Fenchel inequalities for star-shaped and $k$-convex domains in Euclidean space. Brendle-Guan-Li proposed a conjecture on the corresponding inequalities for quermassintegrals in the sphere and introduced a locally constrained fully nonlinear curvature flow to study this conjecture. In this talk, we will discuss using a new type of flow to study this question and some new progress in this conjecture.
October 15, John Lott (UC Berkeley)
Abstract: The conjecture said that a complete Riemannian 3-manifold with pointwise pinched nonnegative Ricci curvature is compact or flat. It has been proved through the efforts of myself, Deruelle-Schulze-Simon, and Lee-Topping. Ill describe the background to the conjecture and the main ideas of the proof, which uses Ricci flow, along with some more recent developments.
October 22, Junbang Liu (Stony Brook University)
Abstract: We proved a relative uniform estimate for a class of Monge-Ampere type equations on compact K"ahler manifolds. It provides a unified approach to Trudinger-type estimates and uniform estimates, and the method can be applied to sharpen some previous results on the modulus of continuity of solutions, stability estimates, and estimates on Greens functions. The argument is based on the De Giorgi iteration for complex Monge-Ampere equations developed by Guo-Phong-Tong and the construction of appropriate comparison K"ahler metrics.
October 29, Peter Topping (University of Warwick)
Abstract: Linear parabolic PDEs like the heat equation have well-known smoothing properties. In reasonable situations we can control the C^k norm of solutions at time t in terms of t and a weak norm of the initial data. This idea sometimes carries over to nonlinear parabolic PDEs such as geometric flows. A celebrated example would be the curvature estimates for Ricci flow of Hamilton-Shi. In this talk I will discuss a totally different phenomenon that can occur in some natural situations, in which there is an explicit magic positive time before which we have no regularity estimates at all, but after which parabolic regularity is switched on and we obtain full regularity. I plan to focus on the case of curve shortening flow, which will mean that almost no prerequisites will be assumed. Parts will be joint work with Arjun Sobnack or Hao Yin.
November 5, Juncheol Pyo (Pusan National University)
Abstract: Translating solitons and self-shrinkers are solitons of the mean curvature flow (MCF). They serve not only as blow-up models of MCF singularities but also as minimal surfaces within Riemannian manifolds. In this talk, I will compare various properties of minimal surfaces and MCF solitons, focusing on aspects such as Bernstein-type theorems, properness, and free boundary surfaces within a ball. More specifically, we prove rigidity results for graphical translators moving in non-vertical directions. Additionally, I will introduce some sufficient conditions for the properness of translating solitons. Finally, we establish that any graphical self-shrinker with a free boundary in a ball is a flat disk passing through the balls center. This is joint work with Daehwan Kim, Sangwoo Park, Yuan Shyong Ooi, and John Ma.
November 12, Yifan Chen (UC Berkeley)
Abstract: We construct more complete Calabi-Yau metrics of Calabi type on some quasi-projective variety. They are the higher-dimensional analogues of ALH* gravitational instantons in two dimensions. Our work builds on and generalizes the results of Tian-Yau and Hein-Sun-Viaclovski-Zhang, creating Calabi-Yau metrics that are only polynomially close to the model space. We also prove the uniqueness of such metrics in a given cohomology class with fixed asymptotic behavior.
November 19, Micah Warren (University of Oregon)
Abstract: We present a novel translating solution curve diffusion flow. Curve diffusion flow is a gradient flow for arclength of curves bounding a fixed signed area, and is a 4th order analogue to curve shortening flow. It was open whether there exists any nontrivial properly immersed translating solutions. Joint with Jacob Ogden.
December 3, Laura Fredrickson (University of Oregon)
Abstract: Gravitational instantons are defined as non-compact non-flat complete hyperkaehler 4-manifolds with \(L^2\) curvature decay. These have been recently classified and all arise as bubbling limits of K3 surfaces. It is conjectured that all 4d gravitational instantons arise as hyperkaehler metrics on gauge theoretic moduli spaces. In this talk, Ill focus on a special kind of gravitational instantons called ALG gravitational instantons. These can be conjecturally realized as moduli spaces of Hitchins equations, a system of gauge-theoretic equations on a Riemann surface that are recognized as a central object in mathematics. In this talk, Ill discuss recent progress towards proving this conjecture in the specific case of ALG-D4 gravitational instantons via Hitchin moduli spaces on the four-punctured sphere. This is joint work with Rafe Mazzeo, Jan Swoboda, and Hartmut Weiss.
February 12, Pablo Pisani (Instituto de Física La Plata, Argentina)
Abstract: A connection on the tangent bundle of a smooth manifold defines an affine manifold and introduces the notions of parallel transport and geodesics, which describe the geometry of straight lines within the manifold. In this seminar we will show some advances in the determination of geodesic completeness of locally homogeneous affine surfaces.
March 5, Bradley Burdick
Abstract: Given a set of Riemannian manifolds with positive Ricci curvatures, when does the connected sum of these manifolds admit a metric of positive Ricci curvature? Weakening the question to positive scalar curvature, it is always possible (in dimension 3 or more), but strengthening the question to positive sectional curvature, one can show it is not possible in general. Using the work of Perelman we can describe a class of a Ricci-positive Riemannian metrics that will be closed under connected sum. By proving a generalization of Perelman`s Ricci-positive gluing theorem to Riemannian manifolds with corners, we are able to prove that these class of metrics are closed under spherical fibrations as well. Combining this idea with the work of Wraith on Ricci-positive metrics on exotic spheres and some computations in surgery theory (due to many authors), we are able to give new examples of metrics of positive Ricci curvature on exotic smooth structures.
March 12, Weiyong He.
April 2, Peter Gilkey
April 30, Bradley Burdick
May 13, Luda Korobenko, Reed College
Abstract: The central topic of this talk is regularity of weak solutions to second order infinitely degenerate elliptic equations. It is known that regularity of weak solutions can be studied by studying properties of certain metric spaces associated to the operator, namely, subunit metric spaces. When the degeneracy of the operator is of infinite type, the measures of subunit balls are non doubling. As a consequence, the classical Sobolev inequality - one of the main ingredients of the regularity theory - is also unavailable. However, weaker versions, such as log-Sobolev (or, more generally, Orlicz-Sobolev) inequalities can be used in an adaptation of the classical Moser or DeGiorgi iteration scheme to show improved regularity of weak solutions. In this talk I will discuss the connection between these weaker types of Sobolev inequalities and the doubling condition, and their connection to infinitely degenerate elliptic PDEs.
May 21, Peng LU. Title: Ancient solutions for Andrews hypersurface flow
Oct 2, Peter Gilkey
Abstract:TBA
Oct 9, Boris Botvinnik
Oct 16, Micah Warren
Oct 23, Guangbo Xu, Simons Center
Abstract: In their seminal work in 1994, Bershadsky-Cecotti-Ooguri-Vafa introduced a particular Ray-Singer analytic torsion of Calabi-Yau manifolds which coincides with the genus one topological string partition function. They also proved a holomorphic anomaly formula for this torsion which is related to the variation of Hodge structure and the Weil-Petersson geometry of deformation spaces. In this joint work with Shu Shen and Jianqing Yu, we consider the similar object in Landau-Ginzburg models. We prove an index theorem for the associated Dirac operator and rigorously define the BCOV torsion. We also obtain a partial result towards proving a holomorphic anomaly formula.
Oct 30 , Xiangwen Zhang, UC Irvine.
November 6, Bradley Burdick.
Abstract:TBA
November 13, Bo GUAN
Abstract:TBA
April 10, Peter Gilkey
Abstract:TBA
April 17, Adam Layne
Abstract: Recent progress in understanding spatially closed, vacuum spacetimes with Killing fields has been characterized by instabilities. This is in contrast to the open case where, for example, Minkowski space is known to be stable. With Profs. Berger and Isenberg, we prove several results related to the stability of such solutions, expanding on previous work of LeFloch and Smulevici. We also present recent numerical work exploring the space of \( T^2 \)-symmetric spacetimes which are not covered by our theorems. We will give a picture of these instabilities, as well as potential attractors far from most previously identified classes.
May 1, Boris Botvinnick
Abstract:TBA This is work joint with D. Wraith. We use harmonic maps to study the map of moduli spaces of Ricci-non-negative metric on a Riemannian manifold \( M \) to the one on the product \( M\times S^1 \). In particular, we show that such moduli space on \( M\times T^p \) has infinite number of path components for some particular manifolds \( M \).
May 8, Xuemiao Chen (from UC Berkeley)
Abstract: Given a singular Hermitian-Yang-Mills connection A and assuming certain conditions, we will characterize the analytic tangent cones of A at an isolated singularity p by using the local algebraic geometric data near p given by the holomorphic bundle E determined by A. The uniqueness is a consequence. (Joint with Song Sun.)
May 15, Jiuru Zhou
Abstract: In this talk, by adding a technical assumption, we give an affirmative answer to Donaldsons tamed to compatible question.
May 22, Micah Warren
Abstract:TBA
May 29, Siqi He, California Institute of Technology
Abstract:TBA
June 5, M. Wang, McMaster University
Abstract: I will report on joint work with I. Adeboye and Guofang Wei on computating explicit uniform lower bounds for the volumes of orbifold quotients of irreducible symmetric spaces (without compact factors) via differential geometric methods. This extends previous work by Adeboye and Wei for real and complex hyperbolic spaces, and work of others for quaternionic hyperbolic spaces.
January 16, Peter Gilkey
Abstract:TBA
January 23, Gao Chen, IAS.
Abstract: A gravitational instanton is a noncompact complete Calabi-Yau surface with faster than quadratic curvature decay. In this talk, I will discuss the classification of gravitational instantons. This is a joint work with Xiuxiong Chen.
January 30, Christine Escher, Oregon State
Abstract: In joint work with Catherine Searle we classify closed, simply-connected, non-negatively curved 6-manifolds of almost maximal symmetry rank up to equivariant diffeomorphism. I will describe the classification result and give an outline of the proof.
February 13, Weiyong He.
Abstract: Recently Chen and Cheng have made surprising breakthrough on existence of Kahler metrics of constant scalar curvature, where they are able to solve the long standing problem of Calabi-Donaldson program. Technically they solved a fourth order nonlinear elliptic equation of scalar curvature type, assuming necessary properness condition; the key is to derive a priori estimates of scalar curvature type equations (fourth order on Kahler manifolds). We will report their achievements and extend their results to Calabi’s extremal metric.
February 20, Florian Beyer, University of Otago
Abstract: Einstein’s equations can be considered as a particular geometric evolution system where the underlying PDEs are essentially of nonlinear wave equation type. Similar to other famous geometric evolution problems, there has been a lot of effort over the last decades to study the formation of singularities of solutions. In general this turns out to be a formidable (and essentially unsolved) task due to the complexity of Einstein’s equations. In this talk I will discuss a recent result by P. LeFloch and myself (based on joint work with J. Isenberg and E. Ames) regarding singular solutions of the coupled Einstein-Euler equations. I will also explain the underlying notion of a "singular initial value problem".
February 27, Jiuru Zhou
Abstract: In this talk, we calculate the dimension of the J-anti-invariant cohomology subgroup on torus T^4. Inspired by this concrete example, we get that: On a closed symplectic 4-dimensional manifold (M,\omega),dimension of the J-anti-invariant cohomology subgroup vanishes for generic \omega-compatible almost complex structures.
March 6, Yongjia Zhang, UCSD
Abstract: Ancient solutions to the Ricci flow are very important for the understanding of singularity formation, and strongly utilized in Hamilton-Perelman`s proof of geometrization conjecture. In this talk, I will discuss my proof of the classification of three-dimensional Type I noncollapsed ancient solutions to the Ricci flow. If there were time, I will also talk about a similar rigidity result in dimension four.
March 13, Arunima Bhattacharya
Abstract: We consider the Hamiltonian stationary equation for all phases in dimension two. We show that solutions that are C^{1,1} will be smooth and we also derive a C^{2,\alpha} estimate for it.
October 10 , 2017 Nikolai Saveliev, University of Miami.
Absract: We extend the Atiyah, Patodi, and Singer index theorem for Dirac operators from the context of manifolds with cylindrical ends to manifolds with periodic ends. The index is expressed in terms of a new periodic eta-invariant that equals the classical eta-invariant in the cylindrical setting. We use this theorem to study Riemannian metrics of positive scalar curvature on some even-dimensional manifolfds, as well as the Seiberg-Witten invariants of 4-manifolds with integral homology of \(S^1 \times S^3\) This is a joint work with Jianfeng Lin, Tom Mrowka, and Daniel Ruberman. Abstract: TBA
October 17, 2017. Micah Warren
Abstract: Nash`s classical bargaining solution suggests that n players should maximize a product of utility functions. We consider a special case: Suppose that the players are chosen from a continuum, distribution \( \mu \) and suppose they are to divide up a resource \( \nu \) that is also on a continuum, whose utility to each player is the inverse of exponential of a cost function. The maximization problem becomes an optimal type transport problem, where the target density is the minimizer to the functional \( F(\beta) = H_{\nu}(\beta) + W^2(\mu,\beta) \) where \( H \) is the entropy and W is the Wasserstein distance. One may recognize this problem from a single time step in the Jordan-Kinderlehrer-Otto scheme. Thanks to optimal transport theory, the solution may be described as by a potential that solves a fourth order nonlinear elliptic PDE.
October 24, 2017. Peng Lu.
Abstract:TBA
October 31, 2017. Shaosai Huang, Stony Brook
Abstract: A central issue in studying uniform behaviors of Riemannian manifolds is to obtain uniform local \( L^{\infty} \)-bounds of the curvature tensor. For manifolds whose Riemannian metric satisfying certain elliptic equations, e.g. Einstein manifolds and Ricci solitons, local curvature bound are expected when the local energy is sufficiently small. Such estimates, referred to as\( \epsilon\) -regularity, are usually obtained via Moser iteration arguments, which requires a uniform control of the Sobolev constant. This requirement may fail in many natural situations. In this talk, I will discuss an \( \epsilon\) -regularity result for 4-dimensional shrinking Ricci solitons without a priori control of the Sobolev constant.
November 14, 2017. Jim Isenberg
November 17, 2017. Richard Bamler (Note special day!)
Abstract:TBA
April 4 2017. Adam Jacob, UC Davis .
Title:Tangent cones of Yang-Mills connections with isolated singularities.
Abstract: Originally developed in the study of minimal surfaces Simon and Almgren, tangent cones have proved useful in applications to many geometric equations, including Yang-Mills connections. In this talk I will discuss how to uniquely identify the tangent cone of a Yang-Mills connection with isolated singularity in the complex setting, with an assumption on the complex structure of the bundle. This is joint work with H. Sa Earp and T. Walpuski.
April 18, 2017. Peter Gilkey, UO.
Title:Affine symmetric spaces.
April 25, 2017.Weiyong He, UO .
Title:Constant scalar curvature metric and its weak solution on compact Kahler manifolds.
AAbstract: We define a notion of weak solution for constant scalar curvature equation on Kahler manifolds for metrics with only bounded coefficients. We develop some linear theory on compact Kahler manifolds for elliptic equations with only bounded coefficients. Using the linear theory, we prove a weak solution is smooth. This in part confirms a conjecture of X.X. Chen, regarding the regularity of minimizers of K-energy. This is joint work with Yu Zeng from University of Rochester
May 9, 2017. Syafiq Johar, Oxford.
May 16, 2017. Micah Warren, UO.
Title:Radial solutions of a fourth order Hamiltonian stationary equation
We consider smooth radial solutions to the Hamiltonian stationary equation which are defined away from the origin. We show that in dimension two all radial solutions on unbounded domains must be special Lagrangian. In contrast, for all higher dimensions there exist non-special Lagrangian radial solutions over unbounded domains; moreover, near the origin, the gradient graph of such a solution is continuous if and only if the graph is special Lagrangian. Joint with Jingyi Chen.
May 23, 2017. Demetre Kazaras, UO.
Title:Gluing manifolds with boundary and bordisms of positive scalar curvature metrics
This thesis presents two main results on geometric and topological aspects of scalar curvature. The first is a gluing theorem for scalar-flat manifolds with vanishing mean curvature on the boundary. Our methods involve tools from conformal geometry and perturbation techniques for nonlinear elliptic PDE. The second part studies bordisms of positive scalar curvature metrics. We present a modification of the Schoen-Yau minimal hypersurface technique to manifolds with boundary which allows us to prove a hereditary property for bordisms of positive scalar curvature metrics. The main technical result is a convergence theorem for stable minimal hypersurfaces with free boundary in bordisms with long collars which may be of independent interest.
May 30, 2017. Adam Layne, UO.
June 6, 2017. Arunima Bhattacharya, UO.
Abstract :We consider a C^{2,α} solution (u) of a fourth order non linear elliptic PDE. We show that the solution will be smooth if the PDE is regular. We define a regular PDE as a PDE whose coefficient matrix, a smooth function of the hessian of u, along with it’s derivative w.r.t the hessian satisfy the Legendre Hadamard (L.H) condition of ellipticity. This result can be applied to C^{2,α} minimizers of functionals defined on the hessian space satisfying certain convexity conditions, therefore showing that the minimizers are in fact smooth functions.
January,10 2017. Bing Wang University of Wisconsin.
Title:The extension problem of the mean curvature flow
Abstract: We show that the mean curvature blows up at the first finite singular time for a closed smooth embedded mean curvature flow in \( \mathbb{R}^3 \). This is a joint work with H.Z. Li.
January,24 2017. Weiyong He
Title: Regularity of weak solutions of scalar curvature equation.
We prove some regularity result for weak solutions of scalar curvature equation. This is a joint work with Yu Zeng
January 31 2017. Boris Botvinnik
This is joint work with David Wraith.
We study the space \( \Riem^{\Ric+}(M) \) of metrics with
positive Ricci curvature on a closed spin manifold \(M\)of \( \dim M=d\).
There is a natural map \(\iota: \Riem^{\Ric+}(M)\to \Riem^+(M) \)$ to the
space of metrics with positive scalar curvature. Let \(g_0\in
\Riem^+(M)\) be any metric, then there is the index-difference map
\( \mathrm{inddiff}_{g_0}: \Riem^+(M)\to \Omega^{\infty+d+1}KO\) defined
by Hitchin. Recently it was established by Botvinnik, Ebert and
Randal-Williams that the index-difference map \(\mathrm{inddiff}_{g_0}\)
detects non-trivial homotopy groups \(\pi_q\Riem^+(M) \) for all $q \) such
that \(KO_{d+q+1}\neq 0 \), where \(d\geq 6\). We show that for
any \(\ell\geq 1\) and even integer \(d\geq 6\), there exists a spin
manifold \(W\), \(\dim W = d\), together with a metric \(g_0\in
\Riem^{\Ric+}(W)\), such that the composition \(\mathsf{inddiff}_{g_0}:
\Riem^{\Ric+}(W)\xrightarrow[ ]{\iota} \Riem^{+}(W) \xrightarrow[
]{\mathrm{inddiff}_{g_0}} \Omega^{n+1} KO\) detects non-trivial
homotopy groups \(\pi_q \Riem^{\Ric+}(W)\) for all\(q\leq \ell\) and such
that \(KO_{d+q+1}\neq 0\).
February 14 2017. John Ma, UBC
Title: Compactness, finiteness properties of Lagrangian self-shrinkers in $\mathbb R^4$ and Piecewise mean curvature flow.
Abstract:
In this talk, we discuss a compactness result on the space of compact Lagrangian self-shrinkers in $\mathbb R^4$. When the area is bounded above uniformly, we prove that the entropy for the Lagrangian self-shrinking tori can only take finitely many values; this is done by deriving a {\L}ojasiewicz-Simon type gradient inequality for the branched conformal self-shrinking tori. Using the finiteness of entropy values, we construct a piecewise Lagrangian mean curvature flow for Lagrangian immersed tori in $\mathbb R^4$, along which the Lagrangian condition is preserved, area is decreasing, and the type I singularities that are compact with a fixed area upper bound can be perturbed away in finite steps. This is a Lagrangian version of the construction for embedded surfaces in $\mathbb R^3$ by Colding and Minicozzi.
This is a joint work with Jingyi Chen.
February 21 2017. Jim Isenberg
“Neckpinches and Caps in Geometric Heat Flows"
February 28 2017. Yu Li
March 7, 2017. Micah Warren
October 4, 2016. Micah Warren
Title: Increased Regularity for Hamiltonian Stationary submanifolds
Abstract: A Hamiltonian Stationary submanifold of complex space is a Lagrangian manifold whose volume is stationary under Hamiltonian variations. We consider gradient graphs \( (x,Du(x)) \) for a function \( u \). For a smooth \( u \), the Euler-Lagrange equation can be expressed as a fourth order nonlinear equation in \( u \) that can be locally linearized (using a change of tangent plane) to the bi-Laplace. The volume can be defined for lower regularity, however, and computing the Euler-Lagrange equation with less assumed regularity gives a "double divergence" equation of second order quantities. We show several results. First, there is a \( c_n \) so that if the Hessian \( D^2u \) is \(c_n\)close to a continuous matrix-valued function, then the potential must be smooth. Previously, Schoen and Wolfson showed that when the potential was \(C^{2,\alpha}\), then the potential \( u \)must be smooth. We are also able to show full regularity when the Hessian is bounded within certain ranges. This allows us to rule out conical solutions with mild singularities.
October 11, 2016. Peter Gilkey
Title: Geodesics on locally homogeneous affine surfaces
Abstract: We examine questions of geodesic completeness in the context of locally homogeneous affine surfaces. Any locally homogeneous surface has a local model \( \mathcal{M} \) where either the Christoffel symbols take the form \(\Gamma_{ij}{}^k\) are constant and the underlying space is \(\mathbb{R}^2\) (Type-A) or the Christoffel symbols take the form \(\Gamma_{ij}{}^k=C_{ij}{}^k/x^1\) where the underlying space is \(\mathbb{R}^+\times\mathbb{R}\) (Type-B). The model space \(\mathcal{M}\) is said to be ESSENTIALLY GEODESICALLY COMPLETE if there does not exist a complete locally homogeneous surface modeled on \( \mathcal{M}\) which is geodesically complete. Up to linear equivalence, there are exactly 3 models which are geodesically incomplete but not essentially geodesically incomplete. We classify all the geodesically complete models of Type-A and present some partial results concerning Type-B models. This is joint work in progress with E. Puffini (Krill Institute, Islas Malvinas) and with Daniela Dascanio and Pablo Pisani (Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina)
October 25, 2016. Demetre Kazaras
Title: Minimal hypersurfaces with free boundary and psc-bordism
Abstract: There is a well-known technique due to Schoen-Yau from the late 70s which uses (stable) minimal hypersurfaces to study the topological implications of a (closed) manifold`s ability to support positive scalar curvature metrics. In this talk, we describe a version of this technique for manifolds with boundary and discuss how it can be used to study bordisms of positive scalar curvature metrics.
November 2 2016. Bradley Burdick
Title: Perelman`s construction for gluing manifolds with positive Ricci curvature
March 29, 2016. Heather MacBeth (MIT / MSRI)
Title: Kähler-Einstein metrics and higher alpha-invariants
Abstract: I will describe a condition on the Bergman metrics of a Fano manifold M, which guarantees the existence of a Kähler-Einstein metric on M. I will also discuss a conjectural relationship between this condition and \( M`s \) higher alpha-invariants \( \alpha_{m,k}(M) \), analogous to a 1991 theorem of Tian for \( \alpha_{m,2}(M). \)
November 15, 2016. Weiyong He
Title:The Calabi flow with rough initial data.
Abstract: We prove the short time existence of the Calabi flow for continuous initial metric. This is the joint work with Yu Zeng.
April 12, 2016. Greg Drugan
Title: Solitons for the inverse mean curvature flow
April 19, 2016. Demetre Kazaras
Abstract: In this expository talk, we will describe some rigidity results for area-minimizing surfaces in 3-manifolds. For instance, Cai-Galloway (2000) show that a locally area-minimizing (2-sided) torus in a scalar-nonnegative 3-manifold is flat and in fact the ambient manifold is flat near the torus. I will highlight the more recent (2013) result of I. Nunes for hyperbolic surfaces which has a connection to Escobar`s Yamabe problem for manifolds with boundary.
April 26, 2016. Christine Escher, OSU
Abstract: The classification of Riemannian manifolds with positive and non-negative sectional curvature is a long-standing problem in Riemannian geometry. In this talk I will summarize recent joint work with Catherine Searle on the classification of closed, simply-connected, non-negatively curved Riemannian manifolds admitting an isometric, effective, maximal torus action. This classification has many applications, in particular the Maximal Symmetry Rank conjecture holds for this class of manifolds.
May 2 2016. Peter Gilkey
This is joint work with E. Puffini, J.H. Park, E. Garcia-Rio, and M. Brozos-Vazquez.
May 10, 2016. Adam Layne
Abstract: Study of the dynamic properties of the Einstein Field Equations has recently been dominated by local stability results: the stability of Minkowski space and the linear stability of Kerr. One may on the other hand study global stability questions, although this has only been possible under symmetry assumptions. I will survey such recent results and some current work with Jim Isenberg and Beverly Berger on future stable solutions of the Einstein Flow.
May 17, 2016. Yu Zheng
Abstract: On a closed K\"ahler manifold, people have been searching for canonical representative in each K\"ahler class. In 80`s, Calabi has proposed to look for the constant scalar curvature K\"ahler(cscK) metric, or more generally the extremal metric, the critical point of Calabi energy. The cscK metric satisfies a fourth order nonlinear PDE. Recently, X. Chen proposed a new continuity path which connects the cscK metric with the critical point of J-functional. In this talk, I will present various openness results about this path. Mostly, I will describe how to deform from the critical point of J-functional(second order) to a twisted cscK metric(fourth order).
May 24, 2016. Weiyong He
abstract: We consider the convergence of Kahler metrics (in the same Kahler class) under various conditions. Compared with the general Reimannian setting, the convergence results of Kahler metrics exhibit many special properties with interesting applications.
January 6, 2016. Peter Gilkey
January 12, 2016. Lorenzo Foscolo, Stony Brook University.
Abstract: Compact 6-dimensional nearly Kähler manifolds are the cross-sections of Riemannian cones with G2 holonomy. Viewing Euclidean 7-space as the cone over the round 6-sphere endows the latter with a nearly Kähler structure which coincides with the standard G2-invariant almost complex structure induced by octonionic multiplication. A long-standing problem has been the question of existence of complete nearly Kähler 6-manifolds besides the four known homogeneous ones. We resolve this problem by proving the existence of an exotic (inhomogeneous) nearly Kähler structure on the 6-sphere and on the product of two 3-spheres. This is joint work with Mark Haskins, Imperial College London.
January 26, 2016. Boris Botvinnik
February 2, 2016. Yakov Shlapentokh-Rothman, Princeton
Abstract: For a positive measure set of Klein-Gordon masses mu^2 > 0, we construct one-parameter families of solutions to the Einstein-Klein-Gordon equations bifurcating off the Kerr solution such that the underlying family of spacetimes are each an asymptotically flat, stationary, axisymmetric, black hole spacetime, and such that the corresponding scalar fields are non-zero and time-periodic. An immediate corollary is that for these Klein-Gordon masses, the Kerr family is not asymptotically stable as a solution to the Einstein-Klein-Gordon equations. This is joint work with Otis Chodosh.
February 9, 2016. Qing Han, Notre Dame
Abstract: We study the asymptotic behaviors of solutions of the Loewner-Nirenberg problem in singular domains and prove that the solutions are well approximated by the corresponding solutions in tangent cones at singular points on the boundary. The conformal structure of the underlying equation plays an essential role in the derivation of the optimal estimates.
February 16, 2016. Micah Warren
A few years ago, Tony Ache and I started on a project to recover the Ricci curvature on a submanifold from a sample of points and their extrinsic distances. This led us to study the notion of Coarse Ricci curvature, which is a function on pairs of points. Using the Carre du Champ of Bakry-Emery, we followed this to a somewhat satisfying notion of Coarse Ricci curvature that can be defined on a large class of spaces. Unfortunately, this turns out to be something that does not work when considering an extrinsic distance function. Instead, we consider approximate Ricci curvature, which is really just an approximation of the classical Ricci tensor using Bakry-Emery, applied to the approximate tangent spaces that are obtained using PCA. We will discuss the pros and cons of both approaches.
March 1, 2016. Greg Drugan
title: Mean curvature flow of an entire graph evolving away from the heat flow
abstract: We present an initial graph over the entire plane for which the mean curvature flow behaves different from the heat flow. This is a joint work with Xuan Hien Nguyen.
March 8, 2016. Xiaohua Zhu
Abstract: In this talk, I will discuss the rigidity problem of \( \kappa \)-noncollapsing steady solitons. First , we show that any \( \kappa \)-noncollapsing steady Kaehler-Ricc soliton with nonnegative sectional curvature must be falt. Secondly, we prove that any \( \kappa \)-noncollapsing steady Ricc soliton with nonnegative curvature operator and horizontally \( \epsilon \)-pinched Ricci curvature should be rotationally symmetric.
Thursday September 17th from 11:00-11:50am in Deady 210. Hojoo Lee, KIAS.
Abstract: In 1867, Riemann discovered a family of complete, embedded, singly periodic minimal surfaces (in the three dimensional Euclidean space) foliated by circles and lines. He also proved that his staircases, planes, catenoids, and helicoids are the only minimal surfaces fibered by circles or lines in parallel planes. We explicitly construct generalized helicoids in odd dimensional Euclidean space, and minimal cones in even dimensional Euclidean space. Our minimal varieties unify various interesting examples: helicoids foliated by straight lines, Choe-Hoppe’s minimal hypersurfaces foliated by Clifford cones, Barbosa-Dajczer-Jorge’s ruled minimal submanifolds, and Harvey-Lawson’s twisted normal cone over Clifford torus. This is joint work with Eunjoo Lee.
September 29, 2015. Valentino Tosatti, Northwestern.
Abstract: The Calabi conjecture, proved by Yau in 1976, says that the complex Monge-Ampere equation on a compact Kahler manifold is always solvable, and this can be interpreted geometrically as constructing Kahler metrics with prescribed volume form (or equivalently prescribed Ricci curvature). In recent years there has been much interest in extending this theory to general compact Hermitian manifolds, which may not admit any Kahler metric. I will describe several results in this direction (joint with B. Weinkove) as well as a recent solution of a conjecture of Gauduchon (joint with G. Szekelyhidi and B. Weinkove).
October 13, 2015 Peter Gilkey.
This is joint work with M. Bozos-Vazquez, E. Garcia-Rio, and E. Puffini.
October 20, 2015. Micah Warren.
Abstract: Suppose that \( L \) is a Hamiltonian stationary Lagrangian submanifold submanifold of complex space, that is, a manifold which is a critical point for volume under Hamiltonian variations. Suppose that \( L \) can be locally represented by the graph of a \(C^{1,\alpha} \) function over its tangent plane on a ball of radius \(r\). Then then manifold enjoys a priori interior derivative estimates of all orders based on \(r\) and the \(C^{1,\alpha} \) bound. While the above result follows almost immediately by Schauder theory, we prove a stronger result that holds for any modulus of continuity on the first derivatives of the graph.
October 27, 2015. Greg Drugan.
November 3 Demetre Kazaras.
November 10 2015. HaoTian Wu.
Abstract: We prove that the space of smooth Riemannian metrics on the three-ball with non-negative Ricci curvature and strictly convex boundary is path-connected; and, moreover, that the associated moduli space (i.e., modulo orientation-preserving diffeomorphisms of the three-ball) is contractible. As an application, using results of Maximo, Nunes, and Smith (2013), we show the existence of properly embedded free boundary minimal annulus on any three-ball with non-negative Ricci curvature and strictly convex boundary. This is joint work with Antonio Ache (Princeton) and Davi Maximo (Stanford).
November 17 2015. Chong SONG (Xiamen U. and UW)
Abstract:
The skew mean curvature flow(SMCF) or binormal flow, which origins from the study
of fluid dynamics, describes the evolution of a codimension two submanifold along its binormal
direction. In this talk, I will show the basic properties of the SMCF and prove the existence of a short-time
solution to the SMCF of surfaces in Euclidean space R^4 . If time permits, I will also talk about a moving
frame method which transforms the SMCF to a non-linear Schrödinger system.
November 24 2015. Weiyong He.
December 1, 2015. Robert Lipshitz.
April 7th, 2015. James Dilts.
April 14th, 2015. Micah Warren
Abstract:
April 21st 2015. Peter Gilkey
P. Gilkey, C. Y. Kim, J. H. Park, and E. Puffini.
April 28th, 2015. Adam Layne
Abstract:
May 5th, 2015. Demetre Kazaras,
Abstract: Given two Yamabe-null manifolds with boundary (i.e. scalar and boundary mean curvatures vanish) our goal is to glue them along a common submanifold \(K \), producing a Yamabe-null metric on the resulting manifold under suitable geometric conditions. Our construction is based on L. Mazzieri`s work on gluing solutions to the classical (closed manifold) Yamabe problem. When $K$ intersects the boundaries of the original manifolds, complications occur and some new estimates are needed to carry out the construction. We will focus on this case in the talk.
May 12th, 2015. Nam Le, Indiana.
Abstract: In this talk, I will discuss global smoothness of the eigenfunctions of the Monge-Ampere operator on smooth, bounded and uniformly convex domains in all dimensions. A key ingredient in our analysis is boundary Schauder estimates for certain degenerate Monge-Ampere equations. This is joint work with Ovidiu Savin.
May 19th, 2015. Weiyong He.
Abstract:
May 26th, 2015. Longzhi Lin 林龙智 UC Santa Cruz.
Abstract: : A one-parameter family of hypersurfaces in Euclidean space evolves by mean curvature flow if the velocity at each point is given by the mean curvature vector. It can be viewed as a geometric heat equation, i.e., it is locally moving in the direction of steepest descent for the volume element, deforming surfaces towards optimal ones (minimal surfaces). In this talk we will discuss some recent work on the local curvature estimate and convexity estimate for the star-shaped mean curvature flow and the consequences. In particular, star-shaped MCF is generic in the sense of Colding-Minicozzi. This is joint work with Robert Haslhofer.
June 2, 2015. Adam Welly
Abstract:
January 13th, 2015. Richard Bamler, UC Berkeley.
Abstract: It is a basic fact that the Riemannian curvature becomes unbounded at every finite-time singularity of the Ricci flow. Sesum showed that, more precisely, even the Ricci curvature becomes unbounded at every such singularity. Whether the same can be said about the scalar curvature has since remained a conjecture, which has resisted several attempts of resolution. In this talk, I will present a new result that partially confirms this conjecture in dimension 4 and motivates some interesting questions in 4 dimensional Ricci flow. Its proof relies on a combination of multi-scale arguments and Perelman`s Harnack inequality on the conjugate heat equation. a byproduct, we obtain an unconventional backwards pseudolocality theorem, which holds in any dimension. This project is joint work with Qi Zhang.
January 20th, 2015. Peter Gilkey, University of Oregon.
January 27th, 2015. Weiyong He, University of Oregon
Feb 3th, 2015. Jim Isenberg, University of Oregon
Feb 10th, 2015. Demetre Kazaras, University of Oregon
Feb 17th, 2015. Adam Layne, University of Oregon
March 3, 2015. Micah Warren, University of Oregon
We show that if a figure 8 bounds convex symmetric regions, then the curve shortening flow shrinks the curve to a point, whose blow-up is a double line. This is an initial step in solving a conjecture of Grayson. The is work in progress with Gregory Drugan and Weiyong He.
Oct 7th, 2014. Micah Warren.
Oct 21th, 2014. Greg Drugan
Abstract: In this talk, we study homothetic solitons for the mean curvature flow with bi-rotational symmetry. The profile curves for these solitons are geodesics for a conformal metric on the positive quadrant. Using the shooting method in the shrinker case, we will show there exists a simple, closed geodesic that corresponds to an \(S^1 \times S^M \times S^M \) self-shrinking solution to the mean curvature flow. This is part of a joint work with Hojoo Lee at KIAS.
Oct 28th, 2014. Peng Lu
Nov 4th, 2014. Michael Williams
Abstract: According to a conjecture of Hamilton, Type-III Ricci flow solutions should converge to expanding homogeneous Ricci solitons. Furthermore, according to a conjecture of Alexeevskii, expanding homogeneous Ricci solitons should be isometric to simply-connected solvmanifolds. One therefore expects such soliton metrics to be stable under (suitably normalized) Ricci flow. This talk will discuss some recent progress made towards proving that these so-called "algebraic solitons" are indeed stable.
Nov 11th, 2014. Weiyong He
Nov 18th, 2014. Xiuxiong Chen, Stony Brook University
Nov 25th, 2014. Adam Welly
Dec 2nd, 2014. HaoTian Wu 吴昊天,
Abstract: We will survey the known results on neckpinch singularities in Ricci flow and mean curvature flow. We then construct some new non-compact examples of degenerate neckpinches in mean curvature flow.
April 8th, 2014. Peter Gilkey.
April 15th, 2014. James Dilts.
April 22nd, 2014. Tamas Darvas, Purdue.
Abstract: Given a Kähler manifold \((X,\omega) \), Mabuchi observed that one can endow the space of smooth Kähler potentials \(H\) with a natural Riemannian structure. This space has received a lot of attention after Donaldson linked it to existence and uniqueness of constant scalar curvature metrics. The Riemannian structure induces a path length metric \(d\)on \(H\), however the resulting metric space \((H,d)\) is not geodesically convex, i.e. there may not be a geodesic connecting arbitrary points of \(H\). In this talk we will identify the metric completion of \((H,d)\), and argue that this bigger space is not only geodesically convex, but also non-positively curved in the sense of Alexandrov.
April 29th, 2014. HaoTian Wu 吴昊天, University of Oregon.
May 6th, 2014. Jingyi Chen University of British Columbia.
Abstract: We show that the set of harmonic maps from the 2-dimensional stratified spheres with uniformly bounded energies contains only finitely many homotopy classes. We apply this result to construct infinitely many harmonic map flows and mean curvature flows of 2-sphere in the connected sum of two closed 3-dimensional manifolds \(M_1\not=S^3\) and \(M_2\not=S^3, RP^3 \), which must develop finite time singularity. This is joint work with Y.X. Li.
May 13th, 2014. Davi Maximo, Stanford.
May 20th, 2014. Christine Guenther, Pacific University.
May 27th, 2014. Micah Warren. University of Oregon.
We define a notion of Ricci curvature which holds on arbitrary metric measure spaces, and depends on a scale. As the scale goes to zero, this definition recovers the Ricci curvature of any smooth metric measure space. We also show that if we construct (discrete) metric measure spaces by taking random sample of \( N \) points from a smooth metric measure space , then with an appropriate choice of scale we can almost surely recover the Ricci curvature as \( N \to \infty \), by looking at the course Ricci curvature of the discrete space. This is joint work with Antonio Ache.
June 3rd, 2014. Demetre Kazaras. University of Oregon.
In this talk we establish a gluing theorem for solutions of a Yamabe problem for compact Riemannian manifolds with boundary which was studied by Escobar in the mid 90s. More precisely, he showed that (most) such manifolds admit conformal deformations to one of vanishing scalar curvature and constant mean curvature on the boundary. Given two manifolds resulting from Escobar`s construction, we form the generalized connected sum \(M=M_1\#_KM_2\)along any common submanifold \(K\) of codimension at least 3 and produce a family of metrics on \( M \), all of which are scalar-flat and have constant boundary mean curvature. Moreover, this family converges to the original metrics in an appropriate sense, justifying our use of the word "gluing."