The rigidity of sharp spectral gap in non-negatively curved spaces (Q2683028)

The main result of the paper is the rigidity theorem of the sharp first spectral gap on a compact \(\mathrm{RCD}(0, N)\) space. That is, suppose \((X, d, m)\) is a compact \(\mathrm{RCD}(0, N)\) space with \(\mathrm{supp}(m)=X\), then \(\lambda_1=\pi^2/\mathrm{diam}^2\) iff \(X\) is either a weighted circle or a weighted line segment; In either case, \(X\) is a non-collapsed \(1\)-dimensional \(\mathrm{RCD}\) space. The above theorem generalizes the rigidity of the sharp first spectral gap on a Riemannian manifold with \(\mathrm{Ric}\geq 0\) [\textit{F. Hang} and \textit{X. Wang}, Int. Math. Res. Not. 2007, No. 18, Article ID mm064 (2007; Zbl 1129.53021)]. The proof of the main theorem combines Sobolev theory with singular 1D-localization. On the other hand, the authors give six main consequences which are of independent interest. For example, the authors show that, for every \(\epsilon>0\) and \(v>0\), there exists \(\delta\) such that \begin{itemize} \item[1.] if \((M^n, g)\) is a closed Riemannian manifold with \(\mathrm{Ric}_g\geq -\delta\), \(\mathrm{diam}\leq 1\), \(\mathrm{vol}_g(M^n)\geq v>0\), and \(\lambda_1\leq \pi^2+\delta\), then \(n=1\) and \(M^1\) is diffeomorphic to \(S^1\); \item[2.] if \((M^n, g)\) is a compact Riemannian manifold with boundary which verifies \(\mathrm{RCD}(-\delta, n)\), \(\mathrm{diam}\leq 1\), \(\mathrm{vol}_g(M^n)\geq v>0\), and \(\lambda_1\leq \pi^2+\delta\), then \(n=1\) and \(M^1\) is diffeomorphic to \([0, 1]\). \end{itemize}