Constant \(\sigma_k\)-curvature metrics with Delaunay type ends (Q411638)

The \(\sigma_k\)-Yamabe curvature problem on a Riemannian manifold \((M,g)\) involves the Shouten tensor \(A_g=\frac{1}{n-2}\left( Ric_g-\frac{1}{2(n-1)}R_gg\right)\) (where \(Ric_g\) denotes the Ricci tensor and \(R_g\) the scalar curvature), and the eigenvalues \(\{\lambda_1,\cdots,\lambda_n\}\) of the self-adjoint operator \(g^{-1}A_g\); \(\sigma_k\) is the \(k\)-symmetric elementary function on the eigenvalues, that is \(\sigma_k(g^{-1}A_g)=\sum\limits_{i_1<\cdots<i_k}\lambda_{i_1}\cdots \lambda_{i_k}\). The target is finding metrics with constant \(\sigma_k\)-curvature in the same conformal class of \(g\). In this paper the authors glue (by means of the connected sum, excising a ball of radius \(\epsilon)\) a collection \((D_i,g_1)_{i=1\dots N}\) of \(n\)-dimensional Delaunay-type solutions to the positive \(\sigma_k\)-Yamabe problem, with \(2\leq 2k<n\) to obtain a manifold \(M_\epsilon\) with a metric \(\tilde{g}_{\epsilon}\) with prescribed constant \(\sigma_k\)-curvature. The \(D_i\)'s are obtained by modifying the cylindrical measure on \(\mathbb R\times S^{n-1}\) with Delaunay-type metrics as studied by \textit{S.-Y. A. Chang} et al. [J. Differ. Equations 216, No. 2, 482--501 (2005; Zbl 1135.53025)]