The mixed Yamabe problem for foliations (Q888772)

The authors show that if \(\mathcal F\) is a harmonic and nowhere totally geodesic foliation defined by an orientable bundle on a closed Riemannian manifold \((M, g)\), or if \(\mathcal F\) (\(\dim \mathcal F > 1\)) is a totally geodesic foliation defined by an orientable bundle whose normal distribution is integrable on \((M, g)\), then there exists a \(\mathcal D ^{\perp}\)-conformal metric \(\widetilde{g}\) with leafwise constant mixed scalar curvature. In order to prove their results, they derive a leafwise elliptic equation for a harmonic foliation and explore the corresponding nonlinear heat-type equation on a closed leaf. Then, as the foliation is defined by an orientable fiber bundle, they use spectral parameters of a certain Schrödinger operator to find a solution, which is an attractor of the equation. Calculations are also presented and they help the comprehension of the results.