Perelman's \(\lambda\)-functional and Seiberg-Witten equations (Q2480267)

For the Ricci-flow evolution eqution \[ {\partial\over\partial f} g(t)= -2\text{Ric}(g(t)),\quad (g(0)= g), \] Perelman found that it is the gradient flow of his \(\lambda\)-functional for a Riemannian manifold \((M,g)\) given by \[ \lambda_M(g)= \text{inf}_{f\in C^\infty(M)} \Biggl\{{\mathcal F}(g,f)\,\Biggl|\,\int_M e^{-f} d\,\text{vol}_g= 1\Biggr\}, \] where \[ {\mathcal F}(g,f)= \int_M (R_g+ |\nabla f|^2)e^{-f}d\,\text{vol}_g \] and \(R_g\) is the scalar curvature. Let \(\lambda_M(g)\) be the lowest eigenvalue of \(-4\Delta+ R_g\). Then \(\overline\lambda_M(g)= \lambda_M(g)\cdot\text{vol}_g(M)^{2/n}\) \((n= \dim M)\) is invariant up to rescalation of the metric. In this paper \(\overline\lambda_M\) is calculated by means of the Seiberg-Witten monopole equation [\textit{C. LeBrun}, Math. Res. Lett. 5, No. 4, 423--438 (1998; Zbl 0977.53044)] for a 4-manifold \(M\). Here one says that a \(\text{spin}^c\)-structure or equivalently its first Chern class is a monopole class if the Seiberg-Witten monopole equation has an irreducible solution. Then, for a smooth closed oriented 4-manifold \((M,c)\) with \(\text{spin}^c\)-structure \(c\), if the first Chern class \(c_1\), of \(c\) is a monopole class of \(M\) satisfying the condition \(c^2_1[M]> 0\), then for any Riemannian metric \(g\) it holds that \(\overline\lambda_M(g)\leq -\sqrt{32\pi^2 c^2_1[M]}\). Equality holds if and only if \(g\) is a Kähler-Einstein metric with negative scalar curvature \(R_g\).