Rotational symmetry of self-similar solutions to the Ricci flow (Q2435145)

There are three basic types of self-similar solutions of the Ricci flow, namely shrinking solitons, steady solitons and expanding solitons. A steady Ricci soliton \((M,g)\) is characterized by the equation \(2\mathrm{Ric}=\mathcal{L}_X(g)\) for some vector field \(X\). If the vector field \(X\) is the gradient of a function, then \((M,g)\) is a steady gradient Ricci soliton. The simplest example of a steady Ricci soliton is the cigar in dimension \(2\), found by \textit{R. S. Hamilton} in [Surv. Differ. Geom., Suppl. J. Differ. Geom. 2, 7--136 (1995; Zbl 0867.53030)]. \textit{R. L. Bryant} found in [``Ricci flow solitons in dimension three with \(\mathrm{SO}(3)\)-symmetries'' (2005), \url{http://www.math.duke.edu/~bryant/3DRotSymRicciSolitons.pdf}] a steady Ricci soliton in dimension \(3\), which is rotationally symmetric. He also showed that there are no other complete steady Ricci solitons in dimension \(3\) which are rotationally symmetric. This soliton is so far the only known example of a non-flat steady Ricci soliton in dimension \(3\). In [``The entropy formula for the Ricci flow and its geometric applications'', Preprint (2002; Zbl 1130.53001), \url{arXiv:math/0211159}, p. 32, lines 8--9] \textit{G. Perelman} mentions the uniqueness problem for steady Ricci solitons without indicating a strategy for a possible proof. In the present paper the author proves the uniqueness of the Bryant soliton under a non-collapsing assumption, as proposed by Perelman: { Theorem.} Let \((M,g)\) be a three-dimensional complete steady gradient Ricci soliton which is non-flat and \(\kappa\)-noncollapsed. Then \((M,g)\) is rotationally symmetric, and is therefore isometric to the Bryant soliton up to scaling.