Uniqueness of compact ancient solutions to three-dimensional Ricci flow (Q2052215)

The authors study the classification of \(\kappa\)-noncollapsed ancient solutions to three-dimensional Ricci flow on \(S^3\), proving that such a solution is either isometric to a family of shrinking round spheres, or the type-II ancient solution constructed by Perelman. At first they show that if \((S^3, g(t))\) is an ancient \(\kappa\)-solution on \(S^3\), then \((S^3, g(t))\) is rotationally symmetric. Next, they prove the following: Let \((S^3, g_1(t))\) and \((S_3, g_2(t))\) be two ancient \(\kappa\)-solutions on \(S^3\) which are rotationally symmetric. Assume that neither \((S^3, g_1(t))\) nor \((S^3, g_2(t))\) is a family of shrinking round spheres. Then \((S^3, g_1(t))\) and \((S^3, g_2(t))\) coincide up to a reparametrization in space, a translation in time, and a parabolic rescaling. Finally, they conclude the following: If \((S^3, g(t))\) is an ancient \(\kappa\)-solution on \(S^3\) which is not a family of shrinking round spheres, then \((S^3, g(t))\) coincides with Perelman's solution up to diffeomorphisms, translations in time, and parabolic rescalings.