The first eigenvalue of \(P\)-manifolds (Q1382131)

Let \((M,g)\) be a compact Riemannian manifold. Assume that all the geodesics of \(M\) are periodic with period \(2\pi\) and that the Ricci curvature satisfies \(\text{Ric}_M\geq L\). A. Ros proved that the first eigenvalue \(\lambda_1(M)\) satisfies the inequality \(\lambda_1(M)\geq (2L+\dim(M)+2)/3\). The author shows that if equality is attained, then \(\lambda_1=(k(m+1))/2=\lambda_1(\overline M)\) where \(\overline M\) is a simply connected compact rank 1 symmetric space of dimension \(\dim(M)=\dim(\overline M)=km\) with sectional curvature which is \(1/4\) pinched and where \(k=1,2,4,8,n\) is the degree of the generator of \(H^*(M;Q)=H^*(\overline M;Q)\) and \(H^*(\widetilde M;\mathbb{Z}_2)=H^*(\overline M;\mathbb{Z}_2)\) where \(\widetilde M\) is the universal cover of \(M\). The author also draws other consequences which show that this situation is very rigid.