Differential Harnack estimates for backward heat equations with potentials under an extended Ricci flow (Q2858025)

Let \(M\) be a compact manifold, \(g(t)\) a family of Riemannian metrics on \(M\) and \(\psi(t)\) a time-dependent smooth function on \(M\). We say that \((g,\psi)\) solve the extended Ricci flow on some time interval, if there we have that \(d\psi/dt=\Delta_{g(t)}\psi\), \(\partial g/\partial t=-\mathrm{Ric}+2\alpha d\psi\otimes d\psi\), where \(\alpha\geq 0\) is a constant. When \(\alpha=0\) then \(g(t)\) evolves under the Ricci flow and \(\psi\) under the time-dependent heat equation for the metrics \(g(t)\). The main result of this paper is a differential Harnack inequality of Li-Yau type for positive solutions of a certain backward heat equation on \((M,g(t))\).