Local splitting structures on nonpositively curved manifolds and semirigidity in dimension 3 (Q707479)

The authors prove the following results. Let \(X^n,\, M^n\) be two closed manifolds such that \(X^n\) admits an F-structure \(\mathcal F\) and assume that there exists \(f: X^n\rightarrow M^n\) with nonzero degree, then: (1) Every metric of non-positive sectional curvature on \(M^n\) admits a local splitting structure \(S\). Moreover, these structures satisfy a consistency condition: There exists a map \(f': X^n\rightarrow M^n\) which sends every orbit of \(\mathcal F\) into projected (via the universal covering map) Euclidean slices of \(S\) preserving the flat affine structures; (2) If \(\mathcal F\) is injective for which all orbits have dimension at least \(n-2\) and \(f\) induces an isomorphism of fundamental groups, then we have in addition that \(S\) is abelian and \(f'\) is homotopic to \(f\). As a consequence [\textit{J. Cao, J. Cheeger, X. Rong}, Invent. Math. 144, No. 1, 139--167 (2001; Zbl 1034.53038)], \(M^n\) has a Cr-structure which is compatible with \(S\). Combining (1) above and previous results obtained by \textit{J. Cheeger} and \textit{M. Gromov} [J. Differ. Geom. 23, 309--346 (1986; Zbl 0606.53028), and J. Differ. Geom. 32, 269--298 (1990; Zbl 0727.53043)], they obtained a stronger version of the Heintze-Margulis theorem. They also show that in dimension three one can obtain the following improvement: If \(n=3\) and \(f\) is a homotopy equivalence, then every metric of non-positive curvature on \(M^3\) admits an abelian structure. Moreover this Cr-structure is independent (up to isomorphism) of the particular non-positively curved metric on \(M^3\). It is in this sense that they say that the moduli space of non- positively curved metrics on \(M^3\) is semirigid.