Strongly nonnegative curvature (Q2402830)

Let \(\mathcal{M}:=(M,g)\) be a Riemannian manifold. One says that \(\mathcal{M}\) has strongly non-negative curvature if for any point \(P\in M\), there is a 4-form \(\omega_P\) such that the modified curvature operator \(R_P+\omega_P\) mapping \(\Lambda^2T_PM\rightarrow\Lambda^2T_PM\) is positive semi-definite. The authors show: Theorem 1. The connected sum of two compact rank-1 symmetric spaces (with any orientation) admits a metric with strongly nonnegative curvature. 2. Every cohomogeneity-1 manifold whose non-principal orbits have codimension at most 2 admits an invariant metric with strongly nonnegative curvature. 3. If \(\mathcal{M}\) is a complete open manifold with strongly nonnegative curvature and soul \(S\), then there exists another metric on \(M\) with strongly nonnegative curvature and soul \(S\) which is isometric to a product \(\nu_1(S)\times[1,\infty)\) outside a compact neighborhood of \(S\). Reviewer's remark. These three constructions comprise an exhaustive list of the methods of producing manifolds with non-negative sectional curvature. Thus all known examples of manifolds with non-negative sectional curvature have strongly non-negative sectional curvature.