Maximal ergodic theorems and applications to Riemannian geometry (Q1885598)

In this pretty paper, the authors first state and prove several abstract ergodic theorems for flows \(T_t\) on manifolds \(N\) preserving a \(\sigma\)-finite measure \(\mu\). One of these results can be formulated as follows. Say, that a measurable function \(g\) on \(N\) has well-defined integral if either \(g^+= \max\{g, 0\}\) or \(g^-= g^+- g\) are \(p\)-integrable. Let moreover \(Z\subset N\) be an invariant Borel set and define \[ E(g)= \Biggl\{w\in Z\mid \liminf_{\substack{ u\to-\infty\\ v\to\infty}} \int^v_u g(T_t w)\,dt\leq 0,\,\lim_{s\to\pm\infty} \int^s_0 g(T_t w)\,dt< \infty\Biggr\}; \] then \(\int_{E(f)} f\,d\mu\leq 0\). Theorems of this kind can be applied to investigate global properties of curvature integrals for complete Riemannian manifolds \(M\) without conjugate points and infinite volume. As an example for such an application, the authors show: Let \(R(p)\) be the infimum of the Ricci-curvatures of \(M\) at the point \(p\in M\); if the function \(p\to R(p)\) has well defined integral on \(M\) then \(\int_M R(p)\,dV\leq 0\), with equality if and only if \(M\) is flat. This generalizes an earlier result of \textit{F. F. Guimaraés} [J. Differ. Geom. 36, 651--662 (1992; Zbl 0761.53021)]. In a similar direction, the total scalar curvature of a complete Kähler manifold \(M\) without conjugate points is nonpositive provided that the holomorphic sectional curvature of \(M\) has well-defined integral on the unit tangent bundle of \(M\), and \(M\) is flat if and only if its total scalar curvature vanishes. The proofs of these geometric results are fairly standard applications of the abstract ergodic theorems together with an investigation of the Riccati equation.