CR Yamabe conjecture -- the conformally flat case. (Q700612)

In 1987, \textit{D. S.~Jerison} and \textit{J. M.~Lee} [J. Differ. Geom. 25, 167--197 (1987; Zbl 0661.32026)] proposed the following CR analogue of the well known Riemannian Yamabe problem: Given a compact, orientable, real \((2n+1)\)-dimensional CR manifold \(M\) with contact form \(\theta\), show there exists a contact form \(\widetilde\theta\) on \(M\), CR equivalent to \(\theta\), with constant Webster scalar curvature \(\widetilde R_{\widetilde\theta}\). This conjecture is equivalent to the existence of a positive solution \(u\) of the equation \(Lu=u^{1+2/n}\) on \(M\), where \(L=L_\theta=(2+2/n)\Delta_\flat + R_\theta\) is the CR conformal Laplacian on \(M\) and \(\Delta_\flat\) is the sublaplacian operator. In a further paper [J. Differ. Geom. 29, No. 2, 303--343 (1989; Zbl 0671.32016)] \textit{D. S. Jerison} and \textit{J. M. Lee} proved the conjecture in the case that \(n\geq 2\) and \(M\) is not locally CR equivalent to the standard \((2n+1)\)-sphere. This result is analogous to \textit{T.~Aubin's} result [J. Math. pur. appl., IX. Sér. 55, 269--296 (1976; Zbl 0336.53033)] for the Riemannian Yamabe problem. The more difficult remaining cases of the Riemannian Yamabe conjecture were proved by \textit{R.~Schoen} [J. Differ. Geom. 20, 479--495 (1984; Zbl 0576.53028)] using the positive mass theorem. No analogue of the positive mass theorem for CR manifolds is known, so Schoen's approach has not been extended to the CR case. The remaining cases of the CR Yamabe problem remained unsolved until recently. In 1996 a very different approach to the Riemannian Yamabe problem was introduced by \textit{A.~Bahri} and \textit{H.~Brezis} [Nonlinear elliptic equations on Riemannian manifolds with the Sobolev critical exponent. Birkhäuser Boston, Boston, MA Topics in Geometry, 1-100 (1996; Zbl 0863.35037)] based on \textit{A. Bahri}'s theory of critical points at infinity [Nonlinear Anal. 20, No. 10, 1261--1278 (1993; Zbl 0782.53027)]. This approach avoids the use of the positive mass theorem. The authors use the Bahri-Brezis approach to solve the CR Yamabe problem in the case that \(M\) is locally CR equivalent to the \((2n+1)\)-sphere. The case \(n=1\) was solved by the first author [J. Eur. Math. Soc. 3, No. 2, 105--137 (2001; Zbl 0988.53013)] using similar techniques.