Paper · Jun 11, 2026
Gromov-Hausdorff convergence of time-slices of singular Ricci flows in dimension three
As on arXiv
Abstract
Starting from a closed, orientable three-dimensional Riemannian manifold, we consider the completion of the associated singular Ricci flow with respect to a natural spacetime distance. We show that this completion admits canonical intrinsic metrics on its time-slices, defined by conjugate heat kernel measures, and that these time-slices arise as metric limits of the regular part of the flow. More precisely, for any and any connected component of the time-slice of the completion, we prove that where is the corresponding connected component of the regular part and denotes its metric completion. In particular, this yields the Gromov-Hausdorff convergence at the first singular time for closed three-dimensional Ricci flows. We also establish a refined structure theory for the singular set of the completion. In particular, the singular set is horizontally parabolic -rectifiable, and its time image has vanishing -dimensional Hausdorff measure. Moreover, on each time-slice, the singular set has Minkowski dimension at most . The proof relies on heat kernel estimates for singular Ricci flows and the generalization of the structure theory of noncollapsed Ricci flow limit spaces.
Comments: Revised version. The spacetime distance and related arguments have been updated following arXiv:2510.12398v3; all main results remain unchanged
Its neighbourhood
Connected papers
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.
-
On the structure of noncollapsed Ricci flow limit spaces
Topics (Non)collapsing, Limit spaces & RCD · Same author Yu Li · Shared terms “noncollapsed Ricci”, “Hausdorff convergence”, “structure theory”
-
Singular sets in noncollapsed Ricci flow limit spaces
Topics (Non)collapsing, Limit spaces & RCD, 3-manifolds · Same author Yu Li · Shared terms “singular set”, “noncollapsed Ricci”, “spacetime distance”
-
On the tangent flows of noncollapsed Ricci flow limit spaces
Topics (Non)collapsing · Same author Yu Li · Shared terms “time slice”, “regular part”, “noncollapsed Ricci”
-
Gromov-Hausdorff Limits of Noncollapsed Kähler-Ricci Flows and the Geometry of Ricci Shrinkers
Topics (Non)collapsing, Limit spaces & RCD · Same author Yu Li · Shared terms “Gromov Hausdorff”, “time slice”, “Hausdorff convergence”
-
Heat kernel on Ricci shrinkers (II)
Topics Heat kernel, Limit spaces & RCD · Same author Yu Li
-
Ricci limit flows and weak solutions
Topics Heat kernel, (Non)collapsing, Limit spaces & RCD · Shared terms “noncollapsed Ricci”
-
Finite Time Noncollapsing Kähler-Ricci Flow: Gaussian Type Heat Kernel, Gromov-Hausdorff Limits
Topics Heat kernel, (Non)collapsing · Shared terms “time slice”, “Gromov Hausdorff”, “kernel estimates”
-
Structure theory of non-collapsed limits of Ricci flows
Topics (Non)collapsing, Limit spaces & RCD, 3-manifolds · Shared terms “structure theory”, “singular set”, “singular time”
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
- 6A.3The Heat Equation on ℝⁿ
The heat kernel, smoothing, uniqueness, Brownian motion, and a Gaussian that runs to Perelman.
- 6A.4Fourier Methods and Scale Space
Fourier's own method on the circle and the line, smoothing as the decay of high frequencies, and the heat equation as the mathematics of blurring images.
- 6A.12Entropy, Information and Diffusion
Entropy along the heat flow, the log-Sobolev inequality and Li–Yau: the ancestors of Perelman’s entropy.