On the negative case of the singular Yamabe problem (Q5915444)

Let \((M,g)\) be a compact Riemannian manifold of dimension \(n\geq 3\) and let \(\Gamma \subset M\) be a nonempty closed subset. The paper is concerned with the Singular Yamabe problem (negative case) in which one seeks a complete Riemannian metric \({\widehat g}\) on \(M \setminus \Gamma\) conformally related to \(g\) such that the scalar curvature of \({\widehat g}\) is a negative constant. In case that \(\Gamma\) is a smooth submanifold of dimension \(d\) one knows from work by Loewner, Nirenberg, Aviles, and McOwen [\textit{Ch. Loewner} and \textit{L. Nirenberg}, Contribut. to Analysis, Collect. of Papers dedicated to Lipman Bers, 245-272 (1974; Zbl 0298.35018), \textit{P. Aviles}, Commun. Partial Differ. Equ. 7, 609-643 (1982; Zbl 0495.35036), \textit{P. Aviles} and \textit{R. C. McOwen}, Duke Math. J. 56, No. 2, 395-398 (1988; Zbl 0645.53023)], that the Singular Yamabe problem (negative case) is solvable if and only if \(d > {n-2 \over 2}\). In the present paper \(\Gamma\) is allowed to have singularities. The main result says that if \(\Gamma\) has a proper tangent cone at some \(p\in M\) whose dimension is less than \({n-2 \over 2}\), then the Singular Yamabe problem (negative case) does not have a solution. For example, if \(\Gamma\) is a singular hypersurface which is locally (near some point) of the form \[ \{(x_1,\ldots,x_n) |x_1^2 + \cdots + x_k^2 = x_n^3\}, \] then the tangent cone of \(\Gamma\) at the singular point is of dimension \(n-k\). Hence if \(k > {n+2 \over 2}\), then the Singular Yamabe problem (negative case) has no solution.