Liouville's theorem in conformal geometry (Q2385799)

Liouville's Theorem states that for \(n \geq 3\) all conformal transformations of \(E^n\) or \(S^n\) are restrictions of Möbius transformations. As a generalization, the authors determine all conformal mappings of semi-Riemannian manifolds that preserve pointwise the Ricci tensor. The case of homotheties (similarities) has been treated by \textit{D. V. Alekseevskii} [Ann. Global. Anal. Geom. 3, 59--84 (1985; Zbl 0538.53060)] and [\textit{A. A. Coley}, The 6th Canadian conference on general relativity and relativistic astrophysics. 6th CCRRA, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NJ, USA, May 25--27 (1995; Zbl 0882.53065)] and is not considered in the article under review. If \((M,g)\) and \((\overline{M},\overline{g})\) are semi-Riemannian manifolds with respective metric tensors \(g\) and \(\overline{g}\) a smooth mapping \(f\colon (M,g) \to (\overline{M}, \overline{g})\) is called a conformal diffeomorphism, if the induced metric \(f^\star\overline{g}\) is everywhere a positive multiple of~\(g\). The authors call \(f\) a Liouville mapping (and a Liouville transformation if \(M = \overline{M}\)) if it preserves pointwise the Ricci tensor. If \(f\colon (M_1,g) \to (M,g)\) is a Liouville mapping of class \(C^3\) from an open subset \(M_1\) of a connected semi-Riemannian manifold \(M\) such that \(f^\star g = \varphi^{-2}g\) and \(g(\nabla\varphi, \nabla\varphi) \neq 0\) everywhere, then \(f\) is the composition of an isometry and an inversion. If \((M,g)\) is a complete Riemannian manifold and there exists a point \(p\) such that \(f\colon M \setminus \{p\} \to M \setminus \{p\}\) is a Liouville mapping, then \((M,g)\) is isometric with the Euclidean space. As a consequence, any conformal mapping of class \(C^3\) from a connected, open subset of pseudo-Euclidean space into pseudo-Euclidean space is (up to changes of coordinates in image or pre-image space) either a dilation, an inversion or the composition of two distinct inversions. In case of a conformal factor \(\varphi\) with an isotropic gradient that vanishes nowhere, there exists another special type of a Liouville transformation. The article is full of many more results. Their relations are illustrated by a number of helpful examples.