Smooth Structures and Normalized Ricci Flows on Non-Simply Connected Four-Manifolds

A solution to the normalized Ricci flow is called non-singular if it exists for all time with uniformly bounded sectional curvature. By using the techniques developed by the present authors, we study the existence or non-existence of non-singular solutions of the normalized Ricci flow on 4-manifolds with non-trivial fundamental group and the relation with the smooth structures. For example, we prove that, for any finite cyclic group ${\mathbb Z}_{d}$, where $d>1$, there exists a compact topological 4-manifold $X$ with fundamental group ${\mathbb Z}_{d}$, which admits at least one smooth structure for which non-singular solutions of the normalized Ricci flow exist, but also admits infinitely many distinct smooth structures for which {\it no} non-singular solution of the normalized Ricci flow exists. Related non-existence results on non-singular solutions are also proved. Among others, we show that there are no non-singular $\ZZ_d-$equivariant solutions to the normalized Ricci flow on appropriate connected sums of $\bcp ^2$s and $\cpb$s ($d>1$).