Sphere theorems with and without smoothing (Q2147371)

So-called sphere theorems for Riemannian manifolds of bounded scalar curvature are considered. The following theorem contains the most important result. Theorem. Let $(M,g)$ be an orientable closed Riemannian $n$-dimensional manifold of scalar curvature $k$, $k\geq n(n-1)$. If there exists a $(1,\wedge^1)$-contracting map $f:M\to S^n$ of non-zero degree and if the map $f$ is harmonic with condition $C\leq0$ for its special scalar invariant, then $f$ is an isometry.