A splitting theorem for Alexandrov spaces. (Q701267)

In [Osaka J. Math. 36, 853--859 (1999; Zbl 1037.53503)], the author proved that if a 2-dimensional Alexandrov space \(X\) of curvature \(\geq -{\kappa}^2\) without boundary admits a nontrivial affine function (a function which is affine when restricted to any geodesic), then \(X\) is isometric to flat \(\mathbb{R}^2\) or flat \(S^1\times \mathbb{R}\). In the present paper he extends this to higher dimensional Alexandrov spaces (possibly with nonempty boundary) assuming the affine functions to satisfy a new differentiability condition. The main theorem reads as follows: Theorem. Let \(X\) be an \(n\)-dimensional Alexandrov space of curvature \(\geq -{\kappa}^2\). Then \(X\) admits a nontrivial affine function \(\varphi :X\to \mathbb{R}\) of class \(D^{2,2}\) if and only if \(X\) is isometric to the metric product \(\tilde{X} \times \mathbb{R}\), where \(\tilde{X}\) is an \((n-1)\)-dimensional Alexandrov space of curvature \(\geq -{\kappa}^2\). Note that an analogous statement for complete Riemannian manifolds was proved by \textit{N. Innami} [Compos. Math. 47, 237--247 (1982; Zbl 0514.53040)]. In this particular case the affine functions naturally possess the differentiability condition introduced in this paper.