English

Entropies, volumes, and Einstein metrics

Differential Geometry 2013-01-29 v2 Geometric Topology

Abstract

We survey the definitions and some important properties of several asymptotic invariants of smooth manifolds, and discuss some open questions related to them. We prove that the (non-)vanishing of the minimal volume is a differentiable property, which is not invariant under homeomorphisms. We also formulate an obstruction to the existence of Einstein metrics on four-manifolds involving the volume entropy. This generalizes both the Gromov--Hitchin--Thorpe inequality and Sambusetti's obstruction.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.math/0410215,
  title  = {Entropies, volumes, and Einstein metrics},
  author = {D. Kotschick},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:math/0410215},
  year   = {2013}
}

Comments

This is a substantial revision and expansion of the 2004 preprint, which I prepared in spring of 2010 and which has since been published. The version here is essentially the published one, minus the problems introduced by Springer production