Three-manifolds with small \(L^2\)-norm of traceless-Ricci curvature pinching (Q2501144)

The author studies the geometry of closed Riemannian 3-manifolds with a small energy functional \({\mathcal E}\). More precisely, given a closed Riemannian manifold \((M,g_0)\), the functional \({\mathcal E}\) is defined on the conformal class \([g_0]\) by: \[ {\mathcal E}(g)= \biggl(\int_M\,d\mu\biggr)^{\frac 13} \int_M|Z|^2\,d\mu_g,\quad g\in [g_0], \] \(Z\) denoting the traceless Ricci curvature tensor with respect to \(g\). We observe that any Einstein metric is a critical point of \({\mathcal E}\) which also minimizes \(\int_M|Z|^2\,d \mu_g\) in \([g_0]\). More generally, concerning the minimizer of \({\mathcal E}\), one looks for the gradient flow of \({\mathcal E}\), namely for the solutions of the parabolic equation \[ \frac{\partial g}{\partial t}= (\Delta R+3|Z|^2-3r)g,\tag{1} \] where \(\Delta=\Delta_g\), \(r=(\int_Md\mu)^{-1} \int_M|Z|^2\,d\mu\) and \(R\) is the scalar curvature with respect to \(g\). Let \(\lambda:M\times\mathbb{R}_+\to\mathbb{R}\) be a smooth function. Then (1) is equivalent to \[ \begin{cases} g=e^{2\lambda}g_0,\;\lambda(p,0)= \lambda_0(p)\\ \frac{\partial\lambda} {\partial t}=\Delta R+3|Z|-3r\\ \int_Me^{3\lambda_0}\,d\mu_0.\end{cases} \tag{2} \] The short time existence of solutions of (2) on \(M\times[0,T]\) is well known. Following the approach of Hamilton's work and the ideas of the Calabi flow, the author develops a method which allows to find a sufficient condition for the existence of solutions of (2) on \(M\times\mathbb{R}_+\). In fact, given a solution \(\lambda\) of (2) on \(M\times[0,T[\), there exists \(\varepsilon >0\) such that, if \(\int_M|Z|^2\,d\mu\leq\varepsilon^2\) at \(t=0\), then the solution of (2) exists on \(M\times\mathbb{R}_+\). Furthermore, this solution converges smoothly to \(g_0\), provided that \(g_0\) is an Einstein metric.