Obstruction-flat asymptotically locally Euclidean metrics (Q690613)

A complete Riemannian manifold \((M,g)\) of dimension \(n\) is called asymptotically locally Euclidean (ALE) of order \(\tau\) if it has finitely many ends and if (roughly speaking) each end has a metric so that \[ g_{ij}=\delta_{ij}+O(r^{-\tau})\text{ and }\partial_x^\alpha(g_{ij})=O(r^{-\tau-|\alpha|}) \] in a suitable coordinate system, where \(r\) is the distance to the base point. \textit{J. Cheeger} and \textit{G. Tian} [Invent. Math. 118, No. 3, 493--571 (1994; Zbl 0814.53034)] showed before that, if \((M^n,g)\) is Ricci-flat ALE of order zero, then there exists a change of coordinates at infinity such that \((M^n,g)\) is ALE of order \(n\). The authors use the Bach tensor to introduce the ambient obstruction tensor of \textit{C. Fefferman} and \textit{C. R. Graham} [Élie Cartan et les mathématiques d'aujourd'hui, The mathematical heritage of Élie Cartan, Sémin. Lyon 1984, Astérisque, No.Hors Sér. 1985, 95--116 (1985; Zbl 0602.53007); The ambient metric. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (2012; Zbl 1243.53004)] and also to introduce an extended obstruction tensor \(\Omega^{(k)}(g)\), where \(1\leq k\leq{n\over2}-1\), introduced by \textit{C. R. Graham} [Adv. Math. 220, No. 6, 1956--1985 (2009; Zbl 1161.53062)]. The authors give the optimal decay rate for obstruction-flat or extended obstruction-flat scalar flat ALE metrics by proving the following theorem. Let \((M^n,g)\) be even dimensional, scalar flat, and \(\Omega^{(k)}\)-flat for some \(k\) with \(1\leq k\leq{n\over2}-1\). If \((M^n,g)\) is ALE of order zero, then there exists a change of coordinates at infinity such that \(g\) is ALE of order \(n-2k\). The proof is based on the work of J. Cheeger and G. Tian [loc. cit.] and applies to very general elliptic systems in dimensions \(n\geq3\). The authors also obtain a singularity removal theorem for (extended) obstruction-flat metrics with isolated \(C^0\)-orbifold singular points.