Convergence of the \(Q\)-curvature flow on \(S^{4}\) (Q2503359)

The author studies a fourth-order parabolic equation arising in four-dimensional conformal geometry. Let \(M\) be a compact manifold of dimension four, and let \(g\) be a Riemannian metric on \(M\). The \(Q\)-curvature is defined by \[ Q_g= -\textstyle{{1\over 6}}(\Delta_g R_g- R^2_g+ 3|\text{Ric}_g|^2_g), \] where \(R_g\) and \(\text{Ric}_g\) denote the scalar curvature and the Ricci tensor of \(g\). Moreover, the Paneitz operator associated with the metric \(g\) is defined by \[ P_g f= \Delta^2_g f+ d^*_g[(\textstyle{{2\over 3}} R_g g- 2)\,\text{Ric}_g)\,df]. \] On the standard sphere \(S^4\), the \(Q\)-curvature is given by \(Q_{g_0}= 6\) and the Paneitz operator is given by \[ P_{g_0}= \Delta^2_{g_0}- 2\Delta_{g_0}. \] Let \(g\) be a metric on \(S^4\) which is conformally equivalent to the standard metric \(g_0\). Along the \(Q\)-curvature flow, the metric is deformed such that \[ {\partial\over\partial t} g= -(Q_g- \overline Q_g)\,g,\quad\text{where }\overline Q_g= {\int_{S^4} Q_g dV_g\over \int_{S^4} dV_g} \] denotes the mean value of the \(Q\)-curvature. The main result of the paper states that if the initial metric is conformally equivalent to the standard metric on \(S^4\), then the \(Q\)-curvature flow exists for all time, and converges exponentially to a limiting metric. The limiting metric has constant sectional curvature and is obtained from the standard metric by pull-back along a conformal diffeomorphism.