On the structure of spaces with Ricci curvature bounded below. I (Q1383638)

The authors investigate the structure of spaces which are pointed Gromov-Hausdorff limits of sequences of complete, connected Riemannian manifolds whose Ricci curvatures have a definite lower bound. Sometimes they also assume a lower volume bound. The presented results, most of which were announced and proved in earlier papers of the authors [see \textit{J. Cheeger} and \textit{T. H. Colding}, Ann. Math., II. Ser. 144, 189-237 (1996; Zbl 0865.53037)], are applications of the ``almost rigidity'' theorems for manifolds of almost nonnegative Ricci curvature. Applying metrics of doubly warped product type, the authors construct a number of examples of spaces which are Gromov-Hausdorff limits of sequences of pointed Riemannian manifolds of positive Ricci curvature.