Local dynamics of conformal vector fields (Q431046)

The Obata-Ferrand Theorem of conformal Riemannian geometry states that any group of conformal transformations on a manifold is compact and acts inessentially (i.e. the action is isometric with respect to some metric in the conformal class). The only exceptions are the conformal transformation groups (and their non-compact subgroups) of the Möbius sphere and the Euclidean space. Their action is essential. This is a global result. The local behaviour of conformal vector fields with singularities and their corresponding flow is still not completely understood. The current work addresses this issue. The following main result is proven: Let \(X\) be a smooth conformal vector field with zero at \(x_o\) on a Riemannian manifold \((M,g)\) of dimension \(n\geq 3\). Then either \(g\) is conformally flat in some neighbourhood of \(x_o\) or else there is a neighbourhood \(U\) around \(x_o\), on which \(X\) is a complete vector field and the corresponding flow comes from a relatively compact subgroup of the conformal transformation group \(\mathrm {Conf}(U)\). In this case \(X\) is linearizable around \(x_o\) and inessential. In fact, the current work even proves that the local action of any Lie algebra of conformal vector fields with zero at \(x_o\) on a Riemannian manifold integrates to an action of a relatively compact subgroup of \(\mathrm {Conf}(U)\) (or \((M,g)\) is conformally flat around \(x_o\)). The main technical notion for proving this result is the holonomy flow. Using the exponential mapping of conformal geometry, any Lie algebra \(\mathfrak{h}\) of conformal vector fields with zero at \(x_o\) can be identified with a subalgebra \(\tilde{\mathfrak{h}}\) of the parabolic subalgebra \(\mathfrak{p}\) of the Möbius algebra. \(\tilde{\mathfrak{h}}\) is conjugated to a subalgebra of the orthogonal algebra iff the local action of \(\tilde{\mathfrak{h}}\) is inessential. This result is even true for any pseudo-Riemannian signature. A further study of the dynamics of conformal transformation acting on conformal geodesic segments leads in the Riemannian case to the main result.