English

Singularity theorems for $C^1$-Lorentzian metrics

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2020-08-26 v3 Differential Geometry

Abstract

Continuing recent efforts in extending the classical singularity theorems of General Relativity to low regularity metrics, we give a complete proof of both the Hawking and the Penrose singularity theorem for C1C^1-Lorentzian metrics - a regularity where one still has existence but not uniqueness for solutions of the geodesic equation. The proofs make use of careful estimates of the curvature of approximating smooth metrics and certain stability properties of long existence times for causal geodesics. On the way we also prove that for globally hyperbolic spacetimes with a C1C^1-metric causal geodesic completeness is C1C^1-fine stable. This improves a similar older stability result of Beem and Ehrlich where they also used the C1C^1-fine topology to measure closeness but still required smoothness of all metrics. Lastly, we include a brief appendix where we use some of the same techniques in the Riemannian case to give a proof of the classical Myers Theorem for C1C^1-metrics.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1910.13915,
  title  = {Singularity theorems for $C^1$-Lorentzian metrics},
  author = {Melanie Graf},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1910.13915},
  year   = {2020}
}

Comments

40 pages; v3: reviewer corrections, added some remarks, corrected typos; To appear in CMP

R2 v1 2026-06-23T11:59:38.683Z