Paper · Dec 13, 2024

Classification of ancient noncollapsed flows in

Kyeongsu Choi, Robert Haslhofer

math.DGWider flowsarXiv:2412.10581v2
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Abstract

In this paper, we classify all noncollapsed singularities of the mean curvature flow in . Specifically, we prove that any ancient noncollapsed solution either is one of the classical historical examples (namely , 2d-bowl, 2d-oval, the rotationally symmetric 3d-bowl, or a cohomogeneity-one 3d-oval), or belongs to the 1-parameter family of -symmetric 3d-translators constructed by Hoffman-Ilmanen-Martin-White, or belongs to the 1-parameter family of -symmetric ancient 3d-ovals constructed by Du-Haslhofer. In light of the five prior papers on the classification program in from our collaborations with Du, Hershkovits, and Choi-Daskalopoulos-Sesum, the major remaining challenge is the case of mixed behaviour, where the convergence to the round bubble-sheet is fast in -direction, but logarithmically slow in -direction. To address this, we prove a differential neck theorem, which allows us to capture the (dauntingly small) slope in -direction. To establish the differential neck theorem, we introduce a slew of new ideas of independent interest, including switch and differential Merle-Zaag dynamics, anisotropic barriers, and propagation of smallness estimates. Applying our differential neck theorem, we show that every noncompact strictly convex solution is selfsimilarly translating, and also rule out exotic ovals.

Comments: 54 pages (v2: minor updates in introduction)

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The 8 papers on this site closest to this one, judged by the topics they share, the words and phrases in their titles and abstracts, and their authors. They are not its citations, but a map of the work around it. Papers here go back to 2021, plus the canon.

Connected papers This paper in the centre and the 8 papers closest to it around it, in date order clockwise from the top. The closer a paper sits to the centre, the stronger the connection. This paper Hearing the shape of ancient noncollapsed flows in ℝ⁴ (Wenkui Du and Robert Haslhofer, 2021)1Du 2021 A nonexistence result for rotating mean curvature flows in ℝ⁴ (Wenkui Du and Robert Haslhofer, 2022)5Du 2022 Classification of bubble-sheet ovals in ℝ⁴ (Beomjun Choi, Panagiota Daskalopoulos, Wenkui Du et al., 2022)4Choi 2022 Enhanced profile estimates for ovals and translators (Kyeongsu Choi, Robert Haslhofer and Or Hershkovits, 2023)2Choi 2023 On κ-solutions and canonical neighborhoods in 4d Ricci flow (Robert Haslhofer, 2023)7Haslhofer 2023 Rigidity of ancient ovals in higher dimensional mean curvature flow (Beomjun Choi, Wenkui Du and Jingze Zhu, 2025)6Choi 2025 Mean curvature flow through singularities (Robert Haslhofer, 2025)8Haslhofer 2025 Ancient cylindrical flows with fast or slow convergence (Kyeongsu Choi and Robert Haslhofer, 2026)3Choi 2026
Closer to the centre: more closely connected. Clockwise from the top: oldest to newest. Ricci flowWider flowsalso connected to each other
  1. Hearing the shape of ancient noncollapsed flows in

    Wenkui Du and Robert HaslhoferWider flows PDF

    Topics (Non)collapsing, Ancient solutions, 3-manifolds · Same author Robert Haslhofer · Shared terms “ancient noncollapsed”, “noncollapsed flows”, “bubble sheet”

  2. Enhanced profile estimates for ovals and translators

    Kyeongsu Choi, Robert Haslhofer and Or Hershkovits PDF

    Topics (Non)collapsing, Ancient solutions, Self-shrinkers & translators · Same authors Kyeongsu Choi, Robert Haslhofer · Shared terms “ancient noncollapsed”, “noncollapsed flows”, “Daskalopoulos Sesum”

  3. Ancient cylindrical flows with fast or slow convergence

    Kyeongsu Choi and Robert HaslhoferWider flows PDF

    Topics Ancient solutions, Singularities · Same authors Kyeongsu Choi, Robert Haslhofer · Shared terms “Hershkovits”, “White”, “Specifically”

  4. Classification of bubble-sheet ovals in

    Beomjun Choi, Panagiota Daskalopoulos, Wenkui Du et al.Wider flows PDF

    Topics Ancient solutions, Homogeneous spaces · Same author Robert Haslhofer · Shared terms “bubble sheet”, “ovals constructed”, “symmetric ancient”

  5. A nonexistence result for rotating mean curvature flows in

    Wenkui Du and Robert HaslhoferWider flows PDF

    Topics (Non)collapsing, Ancient solutions, Singularities · Same author Robert Haslhofer · Shared terms “ancient noncollapsed”, “noncollapsed flows”

  6. Rigidity of ancient ovals in higher dimensional mean curvature flow

    Beomjun Choi, Wenkui Du and Jingze ZhuWider flows PDF

    Topics (Non)collapsing, Ancient solutions, Singularities · Shared terms “ancient noncollapsed”, “noncollapsed solutions”, “ovals constructed”

  7. On -solutions and canonical neighborhoods in 4d Ricci flow

    Robert Haslhofer PDF

    Topics Ancient solutions, 3-manifolds, Singularities · Same author Robert Haslhofer · Shared terms “bubble sheet”, “parameter family”

  8. Mean curvature flow through singularities

    Robert HaslhoferWider flows PDF

    Topics (Non)collapsing, Singularities · Same author Robert Haslhofer · Shared terms “noncollapsed singularities”

Read around it

Background reading

The guides for the topics of this paper: what each idea is, why it matters, and the papers to read first.

In the guidebook

  1. 12B.4
    Compactness and Universal Estimates for κ-SolutionsBook 12B · κ-Solutions and Surgery

    Asymptotic volume zero, curvature controlled by volume, Perelman's Theorem 11.7, a universal κ, neck-like behaviour at infinity, and the constants that canonical neighbourhoods inherit.

  2. 12B.3
    The Structure of κ-SolutionsBook 12B · κ-Solutions and Surgery

    Necks and caps, compactness, and universal estimates.

  3. 9B.3
    Collapsing and NoncollapsingBook 9B · Comparison, Convergence and Heat on Manifolds

    Injectivity radius bounds from volume, collapsing examples, and the definition Perelman needs.