The first eigenvalue of Laplace-type elliptic operators induced by conjugate connections (Q2351540)

In this paper, the following main theorem is proved: {Theorem.} Let \((M,g)\) be a closed and simply connected Riemannian \(n\)-manifold, with \(n\geq 2\). Further let \((\nabla,g,\nabla^*)\) be a conjugate triple with torsion-free connections \(\nabla\), \(\nabla^*\), and assume that \(\nabla^*\) is Ricci-symmetric; moreover, assume that \(\nabla^*\) is projectively flat and that (i) \(\exists k>0\) such that the Ricci-tensor \(\mathrm{Ric}(\nabla)\) of \(\nabla\) satisfies the inequality \[ \mathrm{Ric}(\nabla)\geq(n-1)k\cdot g, \] (ii) the first eigenvalue \(\lambda_1^*\) of the operator \(^*\) satisfies \(\lambda_1^*=nk\). Then we have the following properties for \((\nabla,g,\nabla^*)\): {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize}\item[(a)] The eigenspace \(E^*(\lambda_1^*)\) of \(^*\) has the dimension \(\dim E^*(\lambda_1^*)=n+1\); \item[(b)] Let \(f\) be a first eigenfunction of the operator \(^*\), i.e., \(f\in E^*(\lambda_1^*)\); then there exists a positive function \(\varrho: M\to R\) such that \item[(b.1)] The function \(f\cdot \varrho: M\to R\) satisfies the PDE system \[ \mathrm{Hess}^*(f\cdot\varrho)+{1\over{n-1}}\cdot \mathrm{Ric}\cdot(f\cdot\varrho)=0, \] and its trace gives a Schrödinger-type equation for the operator \(^*\); \item[(b.2)] The function \(\varrho\) defines a new conjugate triple \((\nabla^{\sharp},g^{\sharp},\nabla^{*\sharp})\) as follows: \(g\) and \(g^{\sharp}\) are conformally related: \(g^{\sharp}:={1\over\varrho}\cdot g\); \(\nabla^*\) and \(\nabla^{*\sharp}\) are projectively related: \[ \nabla^{*\sharp}_uv-\nabla^*_uv=-d\ln\varrho(u)v-d\ln\varrho(v)u. \] The (1,3)-curvature tensors \(R^{\sharp}\) and \(R^{*\sharp}\) of \(\nabla^{\sharp}\) and \(\nabla^{*\sharp}\), resp., satisfy the relation \[ R^{\sharp}(u,v)w=g^{\sharp}(v,w)u-g^{\sharp}(u,w)v=R^{*\sharp}(u,v)w; \] from this last equation the connection \(\nabla^{\sharp}\) is also projectively flat; \item[(b.3)] The eigenspaces \(E^*(\lambda_1=nk)\) of \(^*\) and \(E^{*\sharp}(\lambda_1^{\sharp}=n)\) of \(^*\)\(^{\sharp}\) coincide; in particular, \(\lambda^{*\sharp}_1=n\) is the first eigenvalue of \(^*\)\(^{\sharp}\);\end{itemize}} moreover, any first eigenfunction \(f\in E^{*\sharp}\) satisfies the PDE system \[ \mathrm{Hess}^{*\sharp}f+f\cdot g^{\sharp}=0. \] Finally, the connection \(\nabla^{\sharp}\) defines an operator \(^{\sharp}:=\text{trace}_{g^{\sharp}}\mathrm{Hess}^{\sharp}\). This operator has the same first eigenvalue \(\lambda_1^{\sharp}=n=\lambda^{*\sharp}_1\), and the corresponding eigenspaces coincide: \(E^{\sharp}=E^{*\sharp}\).