English

Area and Gauss-Bonnet inequalities with scalar curvature

Differential Geometry 2021-12-15 v1

Abstract

Let XX be an nn-dimensional Riemannian manifold with "large positive" scalar curvature. In this paper, we prove in a variety of cases that if XX "spreads" in (n2)(n-2) directions {\it "distance-wise"}, then it {\it can't} much "spread" in the remaining 2-directions {\it "area-wise".} Here is a geometrically transparent example of what we plan prove in this regard that illustrates the idea. Let gg be a Riemannin metric on X=S2×Rn2X= S^2\times \mathbb R^{n-2}, for which the submanifolds \mbox {$\mathbb R_s^{n-2}=s\times \mathbb R^{n-2}\subset X$ and $S^2_y= S^2\times y \subset X$} are {\it mutually orthogonal} at all intersection points x=(s,y)X=Rsn2Sy2.x=(s,y)\in X=\mathbb R_s^{n-2}\cap S^2_y. (An instance of this is g=g(s,y)=ϕ(s,y)2ds2+ψ(s,y)2dy2g=g(s,y)=\phi(s,y)^2ds^2+\psi(s,y)^2dy^2.) Let the Riemannian metric on Rsn2\mathbb R_s^{n-2} induced from (X,g)(X,g), that is gRsn2g|_{\mathbb R_s^{n-2}}, be {\it greater than the Euclidean} metric on Rsn2=Rn2\mathbb R_s^{n-2} =\mathbb R^{n-2} for all sS2s\in S^2. (This is interpreted as "large spread" of gg in the (n2)(n-2) Euclidean directions.) {\sf If the {\it scalar curvature of gg is strictly greater than that of the unit 2-sphere}, Sc(g)Sc(S2)+ε=2+ε,\mboxε>0,Sc(g) \geq Sc(S^2)+\varepsilon=2+\varepsilon, \mbox { }\varepsilon>0, then, provided n7n\leq 7, } (this, most likely, is unnecessary) {\sf there exists a smooth {\it non-contractible} spherical surface SXS\subset X, such that area(S)<area(S2)=4π.area(S)<area(S^2)=4\pi.} (This says, in a way, that (X,g)(X,g) "doesn't spread much area-wise" in the 2 directions complementary to the Euclidean ones.)

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Cite

@article{arxiv.2112.07245,
  title  = {Area and Gauss-Bonnet inequalities with scalar curvature},
  author = {Misha Gromov and Jintian Zhu},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2112.07245},
  year   = {2021}
}

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29 pages