A conformally invariant gap theorem in Yang-Mills theory (Q1663678): Difference between revisions

Let $(X^{4}, g)$ be a closed, oriented four-manifold. Suppose $\nabla$ is a Yang-Mills connection on a vector bundle $E$ over $X^{4}$ with structure group $G \subset \mathrm{SO}(E)$, and curvature $F_{\nabla}$. The authors prove that one of the following must hold: \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] $F_{\nabla}^{+} = 0$; or \item[(ii)] $F_{\nabla}^{+}$ satisfies \[ Y([g])\le 3\gamma_{1}\|F_{\nabla}^{+}\|_{L^{2}} + 2 \sqrt{6}\|W^{+}\|_{L^{2}}, \eqno{(1)} \] \end{itemize} where $\gamma_{1} = \gamma_{1}(E)\le \frac{4}{\sqrt{6}}$ is a constant which depends on the structure group of the bundle, and $W^{+}$ is the self-dual Weyl tensor. Moreover, if equality holds in (1), then $[g]$ admits a Yamabe metric $g$ with respect to which $W^{+}$ has constant norm, $\nabla_{\overline{g}}F_{\nabla_{\overline{g}}}^{+}\equiv 0$, and \[ R_{\overline{g}} -2\sqrt{6}\,|W^{+}|_{\overline{g}} = 3\gamma_{1}|F_{\nabla}^{+}|_{\overline{g}}, \] where $R_{\overline{g}}$ is the scalar curvature of $\overline{g}$. Furthermore, if $\gamma_{1}>0$ we must have $b_{2}^{+}(X^{4})=0$, whereas if $\gamma_{1}=0$, then all harmonic self-dual forms are parallel. To prove Inequality (1), they interpret a certain Bochner estimate for $F_{\nabla}^{+}$ in light of the modified Yamabe problem introduced in an earlier work of one of the authors.