A note on some remarkable differential equations on a Riemannian manifold (Q2097574)

The Fischer-Marsden conjecture states that, for a compact Riemannian manifold \((M,g)\), the existence of a non constant function \(\rho\) such that \(\left(\Delta\rho\right) g + \rho \mathrm{Ric} = \mathrm{Hess}(\rho)\) implies that \((M,g)\) is Einstein. This equation arises from the study of static spacetimes solutions of the vacuum Einstein equation in General Relativity, the function \(\rho\) being the static potential. Although this conjecture has been proved to be false thanks to counterexamples devised by [\textit{O. Kobayashi}, J. Math. Soc. Japan 34, 665--675 (1982; Zbl 0486.53034)] and [\textit{J. Lafontaine}, J. Geom. Phys. 59, No. 1, 50--53 (2009; Zbl 1162.53051)], there has been successful attemps to make the conjecture hold under additional geometric assumptions. In the present note, the authors prove the conjecture in the setting of a manifold with positive Ricci curvature that admits a concircular vector field. This makes the potential function \(\rho\) satisfy the Obata equation, and hence yields a characterization of standard spheres with arbitrary radii. On a last part, the authors give another characterization of round spheres from the existence of a non constant \(L\)-harmonic function \(f\) on a compact manifold \((M,g)\), provided that pinching conditions on \(f\) and on the Ricci curvature are satisfied.