Holographic formula for \(Q\)-curvature (Q2456983)

This article deals with a conformal manifold \(M\) of even dimension \(n\) with a metric \(g\) and its one parameter \(x\) extension \(M\times (0,a)\) with a {\`\`}Poincaré metric{\'\'} \(g_+ := x^{-2}(dx^2 + g_x)\) where \(a>0\) and \(g_x\) is a smooth one parameter family of metrics on \(M\) such that \(g_0 = g\) and \(g_+\) satisfies a certain asymptotic condition. The authors derive an explicit formula for Branson's \(Q\)-curvature on \((M, g)\) [\textit{T. Branson}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 347, 3671--3742 (1995; Zbl 0848.58047)] and study a formula whose ingredients come from \((M\times (0,a), g_+)\) and the \(Q\)-curvature, which is called holographic. When specialized to the conformally flat case, they show that the holographic formula expresses the \(Q\)-curvature as a multiple of the Pfaffian and the divergence of a natural 1-form. Relations between \(Q\)-curvature and the theory of conformally covariant families of differential operator described in [\textit{A. Juhl}, Families of conformally covariant differential operators, \(Q\)-curvature and holography, Birkhäuser (2008)] are also mentioned.