A comparison-estimate of the second Rauch type for Ricci curvature (Q884778)

Rauch's comparison theorem in Riemannian geometry is concerned with sectional curvature. For the Ricci tensor, a comparison-estimate of the first Rauch type has been established by \textit{C. Dai} and \textit{S. Wei} [Math. Ann. 303, No. 2, 297--306 (1995; Zbl 0834.53035)]. In this paper, the authors establish a comparison-estimate of the second Rauch type for Ricci curvature. As an application, they obtain a result of local splitting for Riemannian manifolds.