The energy of a smooth metric measure space and applications (Q2256848)

Let \((M^n,g)\) be a Riemannian manifold. A four-tuple \((M^n,g,e^{-\phi}d\, \mathrm {vol},m)\) is called a \textit{smooth metric measure space}, briefly SMMS, where \(d\,\mathrm{vol}\) is the Riemannian volume element, \(\phi \in C^\infty (M)\) and \(m\) is a dimensional parameter, \(m \in \mathbb{R}\) \(\cup\) \(\{{\pm \infty}\}\). Based on the works [the author, Int. J. Math. 23, No. 10, Paper No. 1250110, 36 p. (2012; Zbl 1257.53067)] and [\textit{J. Lott}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 135, No. 10, 3375--3381 (2007; Zbl 1141.53029)], the author introduces the notion of the \(m\)-energy of the smooth metric measure spaces which includes as special cases both the Yamabe constant and Perelman's \(\lambda\)-entropy. The existence and the uniqueness of the \(m\)-energy are studied and then some geometric quantities associated to a quasi-Einstein SMMS are estimated in terms of the \(m\)-energy. Also, using \(m\)-energy the author proves a precompactness theorem for compact quasi-Einstein smooth metric measure spaces, which generalizes similar results for Einstein metrics and for gradient Ricci solitons.