Lower bounds for the scalar curvature of noncompact gradient solitons of List's flow (Q354693)

\textit{B. List} introduced a modified Ricci flow whose stationary points are solutions to the vacuum Einstein equations in [Commun. Anal. Geom. 16, No. 5, 1007--1048 (2008; Zbl 1166.53044)]. In the paper under review, the authors generalize several results for gradient Ricci solitons to gradient solitons of List's flow. Given an \(n\)-dimensional Riemannian manifold \((M^n,g)\) with Ricci curvature Rc, a scalar function \(\phi\) on \(M^n\), and a constant \(\alpha_n\) depending on \(n\), List's flow is given by the system \[ \begin{cases} \partial_t g=-2\mathrm{Rc}+2\alpha_n d\phi \otimes d\phi, \\ \partial_t \phi=\Delta \phi.\end{cases} \] Let \(S_{ij} = R_{ij} - \alpha_n \nabla_i \phi \nabla_j \phi\), with \(\operatorname{trace}S = g^{ij} S_{ij}\). Given a smooth function \(f\) and a constant \(\rho\), then \((M^n, g, \phi, f, \rho)\) is a gradient soliton if it satisfies the system \[ \begin{cases} S_{ij} + \nabla_i \nabla_j f = \rho g_{ij}, \\ \Delta \phi = \nabla \phi \nabla f.\end{cases} \] The cases \(\rho > 0\), \(\rho = 0\), and \(\rho < 0\) correspond to shrinking, steady, and expanding solitons, respectively. The authors adapt the proofs of \textit{B. Chow} et al. [C. R., Math., Acad. Sci. Paris 349, No. 23--24, 1265--1267 (2011; Zbl 1230.53036)] for the Ricci flow to show that for noncompact gradient shrinking solitons of List's flow, \(S\) has at most quadratic decay. They prove a similar result for certain noncompact gradient steady solitons.