Related papers: Topics in polar actions

Classical mechanical systems are modeled by a symplectic manifold $(M,\omega)$, and their symmetries, encoded in the action of a Lie group $G$ on $M$ by diffeomorphisms that preserves $\omega$. These actions, which are called "symplectic",…

This paper, together with Part II, expands the results of math.DG/9803051. In Part I we study the twisted index theory of elliptic operators on orbifold covering spaces of compact good orbifolds, which are invariant under a projective…

For the cotangent bundle of a smooth Riemannian manifold acted upon by the lift of a smooth and proper action by isometries of a Lie group, we characterize the symplectic normal space at any point. We show that this space splits as the…

We study proper isometric actions of non-compact semisimple Lie groups on pseudo-Riemannian symmetric spaces. Motivated by Okuda's classification of semisimple symmetric spaces admitting proper $SL(2,\mathbb{R})$-actions [J. Differential…

Consider a compact symplectic manifold of dimension $2n$ with a Hamiltionan circle action. Then there are at least $n+1$ fixed points. Motivated by recent works on the case that the fixed point set consists of precisely $n+1$ isolated…

We study the existence of closed geodesics on compact Riemannian orbifolds, and on noncompact Riemannian manifolds in the presence of a cocompact, isometric group action. We show that every noncontractible Riemannian manifold which admits…

A basic feature of Teichm\"uller theory of Riemann surfaces is the interplay of two dimensional hyperbolic geometry, the behavior of geodesic-length functions and Weil-Petersson geometry. Let $\mathcal{T}_g$ $(g\geq 2)$ be the Teichm\"uller…

For compact Riemann surfaces, the collar theorem and Bers' partition theorem are major tools for working with simple closed geodesics. The main goal of this paper is to prove similar theorems for hyperbolic cone-surfaces. Hyperbolic…

In Part I of the present series of papers, we adumbrate our idea of Riemannian geometry to higher order in the infinitesimals and derive expressions for the appropriate generalizations of parallel transport and the Riemannian curvature…

We consider conformal actions of simple Lie groups on compact Lorentzian manifolds. Mainly motivated by the Lorentzian version of a conjecture of Lichnerowicz, we establish the alternative: Either the group acts isometrically for some…

This article gives an up-to-date account of the theory of discrete group actions on non-Riemannian homogeneous spaces. As an introduction of the motifs of this article, we begin by reviewing the current knowledge of possible global forms of…

We obtain an equivariant classification for orientable, closed, four-dimensional Alexandrov spaces admitting an isometric torus action. This generalizes the equivariant classification of Orlik and Raymond of closed four-dimensional…

The aim of the lectures is to introduce first-year Ph.D. students and research workers to the theory of the Dirac operator, spinor techniques, and their relevance for the theory of eigenvalues in Riemannian geometry. Topics: differential…

Riemannian geodesic orbit spaces (G/H,g) are natural generalizations of symmetric spaces, defined by the property that their geodesics are orbits of one-parameter subgroups of G. We study the geodesic orbit spaces of the form (G/S,g), where…

This expository talk is an expanded version of a lecture at G.-M. Greuel's 60th Birthday Conference in Kaiserslautern in October, 2004. We survey recent work of Neumann-Wahl and others on the relation between topology and geometry of normal…

We study the classical Liouville field theory on Riemann surfaces of genus $g>1$ in the presence of vertex operators associated with branch points of orders $m_i>1$. In order to do so, we consider the generalized Schottky space…

We prove a semisimplicity result for the boundary, in the corresponding Deligne-Mumford compactification, of a totally geodesic subvariety of a moduli space of Riemann surfaces. At the level of Teichm\"uller space, this semisimplicity…

Several characterizations of umbilic points of submanifolds in arbitrary Riemannian and Lorentzian manifolds are given. As a consequence, we obtain new characterizations of spheres in the Euclidean space and of hyperbolic spaces in the…

The (local) invariant symplectic action functional $\A$ is associated to a Hamiltonian action of a compact connected Lie group $\G$ on a symplectic manifold $(M,\omega)$, endowed with a $\G$-invariant Riemannian metric $<\cdot,\cdot>_M$. It…

Let $M^n$, $n \in \{4,5,6\}$, be a compact, simply connected $n$-manifold which admits some Riemannian metric with non-negative curvature and an isometry group of maximal possible rank. Then any smooth, effective action on $M^n$ by a torus…