The Ricci flow on compact 2‐orbifolds with curvature negative somewhere (Q3974178)

Let \(M\) be a compact 2-dimensional orbifold with positive Euler characteristic. Hamilton's area preserving Ricci flow is given by the equation \[ {\partial\over \partial t}g(x,t)=(r-R(x,t))g(x,t),\qquad x\in M,\qquad t > 0, \] where \(g\) is the metric, \(R\) is the scalar curvature of \(g\), \(r\) is the average curvature of \(R\). A soliton solution \(\{g_ t\}\) of Hamilton's Ricci flow is defined as \(g_ t=\varphi^*_ t(g_ 0)\), where \(\{\varphi_ t\}\) is some diffeomorphism of \(M\). The following theorem is proved: Theorem. If \(g\) is any metric on a compact 2-orbifold with the positive Euler characteristic, then under Hamilton's Ricci flow, \(g\) approaches asymptotically a soliton solution. This theorem, together with the earlier result by \textit{R. S. Hamilton} [Contemp. Math. 71, 237-262 (1988; Zbl 0663.53031)] gives a complete solution to Hamilton's conjecture. If \((M,g)\) is a compact 2-dimensional Riemannian orbifold, then under the Ricci flow, \(g\) approaches asymptotically a soliton solution.