Ancient solutions

We establish the existence and uniqueness modulo time-independent diffeomorphisms of the positively curved ancient Ricci flow $(M^2,\partial M^2,g(t))$ on a two-dimensional surface with boundary, assuming uniformly bounded diameter and constant positive boundary geodesic curvature. In particular, this ancient Ricci flow is rotationally symmetric, its backward limit is the flat disk, and its forward limit is a half-spherical singularity. To our knowledge, this result is the first instance of a classification result for ancient Ricci flows with boundary.

We construct and prove the transversal invariance of two families of pinching cones for the Hamilton ODE $\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}R=Q(R)$ in dimensions $n=7,8$, thereby extending the pinching estimate established by Brendle for $n\ge 12$ and by Chen for $9\le n\le 11$. In dimension $n=8$, two steps in Chen's construction genuinely fail. The first, an estimate for the second cone family, is repaired by retaining a coupling discarded in the dimension-general argument. The second is the gluing of the two cone families, for which Chen's estimate fails at $n=8$ by a definite margin. We replace it with a new argument that reduces the gluing to a single linear inequality on the cone of weakly PIC curvature operators, and prove this inequality by an explicit finite combination of frame inequalities. In dimension $n=7$, the two separate cone-invariance results are proved, but the gluing step is not established here. Accordingly, the resulting full pinching estimate and classification statements are restricted to dimension $n=8$. The $n=8$ pinching estimate, together with dimension-free arguments of Brendle, yields the topological classification in dimension eight of compact manifolds with positive isotropic curvature that contain no nontrivial incompressible $(n-1)$-dimensional space forms, extending a theorem of Brendle from $n\ge 12$. Together with curvature-improvement and classification results of Cho–Li and Brendle–Naff, it also yields the classification of noncompact $\kappa$-noncollapsed ancient solutions to the Ricci flow with uniformly PIC, extending a theorem of Cho–Li from $n=4$ or $n\ge 12$.

In this paper, we prove a gap theorem for $\mathbb{F}$-limit metric solitons with respect to the asymptotic volume ratio (AVR): if the AVR of a metric soliton is sufficiently close to 1, then the metric soliton is Euclidean; this is a metric-soliton counterpart of Wang-Wang. Our result can be applied to Ricci flows to derive a gap theorem and an $\epsilon$-regularity theorem: (1) an ancient Ricci flow with a type-I scalar curvature bound and AVR close enough to 1 must be the static Euclidean space, (2) a Ricci flow with locally type-I scalar curvature bound and local volume ratio close enough to 1 must be regular enough locally (in the sense that its curvature radius cannot be too small).

For every $n\ge 3$, we construct uncountably many families of type II ancient solutions to the Yamabe flow on the unit round $n$-sphere ${\text{Ss}}^n$. These families are pairwise distinct up to conformal equivalence, and no member is conformally equivalent to a rotationally symmetric solution. At every negative time, the Ricci curvature tensor of each solution is indefinite at some point. Moreover, the associated backward limit space is a wedge sum of finitely many isometric copies of ${\text{Ss}}^n$. These examples show that the collection of ancient Yamabe flows on ${\text{Ss}}^n$ has a much richer structure than suggested by two natural comparison problems: the compact ancient Ricci flows on ${\text{Ss}}^2$, all of which are known to be rotationally symmetric, and the elliptic Yamabe equation on ${\mathbb{R}}^n$, whose positive entire solutions are only the standard bubbles. The construction uses a non-radial inner–outer gluing scheme. After stereographic projection, we reformulate the flow as a conformally invariant parabolic problem on ${\mathbb{R}}^n$. By exploiting Kelvin invariance and switching between the Euclidean and spherical formulations as needed, we control the non-radial modes directly without reducing the problem to one space dimension. Weighted Hölder estimates provide the pointwise control needed to establish the Type II behavior, the Ricci-sign property, conformal inequivalence, and the description of the backward limits in a straightforward manner.

We continue our local singularity analysis for Ricci flow initiated in ArXiv:2006.16227. Building on that framework, we study Type I singular points in general Ricci flows, without assuming any global Type I curvature bound, and prove that the scalar curvature must blow up at a Type I rate at each such point in all dimensions. As a consequence, Ricci flows with bounded scalar curvature cannot develop Type I singular points. This extends earlier results of the first author with Enders and Topping and with Mantegazza that relied on a global Type I assumption. We then adapt the same local perspective to ancient Ricci flows and analyse the curvature behaviour as time goes to negative infinity, showing in particular that every ancient Type I point exhibits scalar curvature behaviour of ancient Type I order.

We show that $\kappa$-solutions to the Ricci flow in dimensions $n\ge 4$ whose asymptotic shrinking Ricci soliton is the round cylinder ${\mathbb{S}}^{n-1}\times \mathbb{R}$ must be uniformly PIC. Combined with earlier classification results, this implies that any such noncompact solution is either the round shrinking cylinder or the Bryant steady soliton, and any such compact solution is Perelman's ancient solution.

In this paper, we study the asymptotic geometry of a noncollapsed ancient Ricci flow with nonnegative Ricci curvature via its tangent flow at infinity – a noncollapsed $\mathbb{F}$-limit metric soliton [Bam23,CMZ23]. We first prove some estimates for noncollapsed $\mathbb{F}$-limit metric solitons with nonnegative Ricci curvature, and then obtain two dichotomy theorems for ancient Ricci flows. In particular, we show that: (1) for a noncollapsed ancient Ricci flow with nonnegative Ricci curvature, either its asymptotic volume ratio is always zero, or every tangent flow at infinity is a Ricci flat cone; (2) for a noncollapsed ancient Ricci flow with positively pinched Ricci curvature ($\mathrm{Ric}\ge \epsilon Rg$), either it is compact, or every tangent flow at infinity is a Ricci flat cone.

In this paper we study the behavior of the scalar curvature at infinity on complete noncompact steady gradient Ricci solitons. In dimension four, we assume that the canonical Ricci flow induced by the soliton is a weak $\kappa$-solution and that the soliton is not isometric to the Bryant soliton. In this setting, we identify the two edges of the soliton and prove that the scalar curvature decays at a linear rate away from these edges. Moreover, if the scalar curvature vanishes at infinity, then a stronger inequality holds and the asymptotic cone is a ray. In particular, our results apply to the four-dimensional steady solitons constructed by Lai.

In this paper, we are devoted to obtain some results on p-biharmonic map from gradient Ricci soliton, especially on two dimensional cigar soliton.

In this paper, we investigate curvature pinching phenomena in complete non-compact asymptotically conical gradient expanding Ricci solitons and establish several Hamilton-Ivey type curvature pinching estimates. These results are parallel to those known for shrinking and steady Ricci solitons. In particular, we prove a three-dimensional Hamilton-Ivey type curvature pinching theorem: any three-dimensional non-compact gradient Ricci expander, which is asymptotic to a cone with positive scalar curvature, must have positive sectional curvature. Furthermore, we formulate a general method and apply it to obtain analogues of several additional known generalized Hamilton-Ivey type curvature pinching results for ancient solutions. Among these is a curvature pinching estimate for four-dimensional asymptotically conical Ricci expanders with uniformly positive isotropic curvature, analogous to a result for four-dimensional gradient steady solitons due to Brendle [8].

This paper proves that there exists a non-trivial ancient solution to the Ricci flow emerging from the Taub-Bolt metric.

For all dimensions $n\ge 5$, let $(M,g,f)$ be a $n-$dimensional shrinking gradient Ricci soliton with strictly positive isotropic curvature (PIC). Suppose furthermore that ${\nabla }^{2}f$ is $2-$nonnegative and the curvature tensor is WPIC1 at some point $\bar{x}\in M$. Then $(M,g)$ must be a quotient of either $S^n$ or $S^{n-1}\times \mathbb{R}$. Our result partially extends the classification result for 4-dimensional PIC shrinking Ricci solitons established in [LNW16] to highter dimensions. Combining the pinching estimates deduced in [Chen24] we also extend the result in [CL23] to dimensions $n\ge 9$. Namely that a complete ancient solution to the Ricci flow of dimension $n\ge 9$ with uniformly PIC must be weakly PIC2.

In this paper, we study gradient Ricci soitons on smooth orbifolds. We prove that the scalar curvature of a complete shrinking or steady gradient Ricci soliton on an orbifold is nonnegative. We also show that a complete $\kappa$-noncollapsed steady gradient Ricci soliton on a Riemannian orbifold with positive curvature operator, compact singularity and linear curvature decay must be a finite quotient of the Bryant soliton. Finally, we show that a complete steady gradient Ricci soliton on a Riemannian orbifold with positive sectional curvature must be a finite quotient of the Bryant soliton if it is asymptotically quotient cylindrical.

For an ancient Ricci flow asymptotic to a compact integrable shrinker, or a Ricci flow developing a finite-time singularity modelled on the shrinker, we establish the long-time existence of a harmonic map heat flow between the Ricci flow and the shrinker for all times. This provides a global parabolic gauge for the Ricci flow and implies the uniqueness of the tangent flow without modulo any diffeomorphisms. We present two main applications: First, we construct and classify all ancient Ricci flows asymptotic to any compact integrable shrinker, showing that they converge exponentially. Second, we obtain the optimal convergence rate at singularities modelled on the shrinker, characterized by the first negative eigenvalue of the stability operator for the entropy. In particular, we show that any Ricci flow developing a round ${\mathbb{S}}^n$ singularity converges at least at the rate $(-t{)}^{\frac{n+1}{n-1}}$.

In stark contrast to lower dimensions, we produce a plethora of ancient and immortal Ricci flows in real dimension $4$ with Einstein orbifolds as tangent flows at infinity. For instance, for any $k\in {\mathbb{N}}_0$, we obtain continuous families of non-isometric ancient Ricci flows on $\#k({\mathbb{S}}^2\times {\mathbb{S}}^2)$ depending on a number of parameters growing linearly in $k$, and a family of half-PIC ancient Ricci flows on ${\mathbb{CP}}^2\#{\mathbb{CP}}^2$. The ancient/immortal dichotomy is determined by a notion of linear stability of orbifold singularities with respect to the expected way for them to appear along Ricci flow: by bubbling off Ricci-flat ALE metrics. We discuss the case of Ricci solitons orbifolds and motivate a conjecture that spherical and cylindrical solitons with orbifold singularities, which are unstable in our sense, should not appear along Ricci flow by bubbling off Ricci-flat ALE metrics.

We classify spin ALE ancient Ricci flows and spin ALE expanding solitons with suitable groups at infinity. In particular, the only spin ancient Ricci flows with groups at infinity in $SU(2)$ and mild decay at infinity are hyperkähler ALE metrics. The main idea of the proof, of independent interest, consists in showing that the large-scale behavior of Perelman's $\mu$-functional on any ALE orbifold with non-negative scalar curvature is controlled by a renormalized ${\lambda }_{\mathrm{ALE}}$-functional related to a notion of weighted mass.

Using a size condition of the sharp log Sobolev functional (log entropy) near infinity only, we prove a rigidity result for ancient Ricci flows without sign condition on the curvatures. The result is also related to the problem of identifying type II ancient Ricci flows and their backward limits.

By Perelman's $\mathcal{L}$-geodesic theory, we study the blow-down solutions on a noncompact $\kappa$-noncollapsed steady gradient Ricci soliton $(M^n,g)$ $(n\ge 4)$ with nonnegative curvature operator and positive Ricci curvature away from a compact set of $M$. We prove that any compact split ancient solution of codimension one from the blow-down of $(M,g)$ is of type I. The result is a generalization of our previous work from $n=4$ to any dimension.

This is a sequel to our paper [24], in which we investigated the geometry of 4-dimensional gradient shrinking Ricci solitons with half positive (nonnegative) isotropic curvature. In this paper, we mainly focus on 4-dimensional gradient steady Ricci solitons with nonnegative isotropic curvature (WPIC) or half nonnegative isotropic curvature (half WPIC). In particular, for 4D complete ancient solutions with WPIC, we are able to prove the 2-nonnegativity of the Ricci curvature and bound the curvature tensor Rm by |Rm|\leq R. For 4D gradient steady solitons with WPIC, we obtain a classification result. We also give a partial classification of 4D gradient steady Ricci solitons with half WPIC. Moreover, we obtain a preliminary classification result for 4D complete gradient expanding Ricci solitons with WPIC. Finally, motivated by the recent work [59], we improve our earlier results in [24] on 4D gradient shrinking Ricci solitons with half PIC or half WPIC, and also provide a characterization of complete gradient Kaehler-Ricci shrinkers in complex dimension two among 4-dimensional gradient Ricci shrinkers.

In $1996$, H.-D. Cao constructed a $U(n)$-invariant steady gradient Kähler-Ricci soliton on ${\mathbb{C}}^n$ and asked whether every steady gradient Kähler-Ricci soliton of positive curvature on ${\mathbb{C}}^n$ is necessarily $U(n)$-invariant (and hence unique up to scaling). Recently, Apostolov-Cifarelli answered this question in the negative for $n=2$. Here, we construct a family of $U(1)\times U(n-1)$-invariant, but not $U(n)$-invariant, complete steady gradient Kähler-Ricci solitons with strictly positive curvature operator on real $(1,1)$-forms (in particular, with strictly positive sectional curvature) on ${\mathbb{C}}^n$ for $n\ge 3$, thereby answering Cao's question in the negative for $n\ge 3$. This family of steady Ricci solitons interpolates between Cao's $U(n)$-invariant steady Kähler-Ricci soliton and the product of the cigar soliton and Cao's $U(n-1)$-invariant steady Kähler-Ricci soliton. This provides the Kähler analog of the Riemannian flying wings construction of Lai. In the process of the proof, we also demonstrate that the almost diameter rigidity of ${\mathbb{P}}^n$ endowed with the Fubini-Study metric does not hold even if the curvature operator is bounded below by $2$ on real $(1,1)$-forms.

Let $(M^n,g)$ $(n\ge 4)$ be a complete noncompact $\kappa$-noncollapsed steady Ricci soliton with $\mathrm{Rm}\ge 0$ and $\mathrm{Ric}>0$ away from a compact set $K$ of $M$. We prove that there is no any $(n-1)$-dimensional compact split limit Ricci flow of type I arising from the blow-down of $(M,g)$, if there is an $(n-1)$-dimensional noncompact split limit Ricci flow. Consequently, the compact split limit ancient flows of type I and type II cannot occur simultaneously from the blow-down. As an application, we prove that $(M^n,g)$ with $\mathrm{Rm}\ge 0$ must be isometric the Bryant Ricci soliton up to scaling, if there exists a sequence of rescaled Ricci flows $(M,g_{p_i}(t);p_i)$ of $(M,g)$ converges subsequently to a family of shrinking quotient cylinders.

In this paper, we construct solutions of Lagrangian mean curvature flow which exist and are embedded for all time, but form an infinite-time singularity and converge to an immersed special Lagrangian as $t\to \infty$. In particular, the flow decomposes the initial data into a union of special Lagrangians intersecting at one point. This result shows that infinite-time singularities can form in the Thomas–Yau `semi-stable' situation. A precise polynomial blow-up rate of the second fundamental form is also shown. The infinite-time singularity formation is obtained by a perturbation of an approximate family $N^{\epsilon (t)}$ constructed by gluing in special Lagrangian `Lawlor necks' of size $\epsilon (t)$, where the dynamics of the neck size $\epsilon (t)$ are driven by the obstruction for the existence of nearby special Lagrangians to $N^{\epsilon (t)}$. This is inspired by the work of Brendle and Kapouleas regarding ancient solutions of the Ricci flow.

We consider null mean curvature flow along the standard lightcone in the de Sitter spacetime. This flow was first studied by Roesch–Scheuer along null hypersurfaces for the detection of MOTS, and independently by the author in the specific case of the standard Minkowski lightcone. Similar to the Minkowski case, null mean curvature flow along the de Sitter lightcone can be related to $2d$-Ricci flow for surfaces of genus $0$ by an appropriate rescaling. Building on this rescaling procedure, we analyse singularity formation, asymptotic behavior and ancient solutions to the flow.

Collapsed ancient solutions to the homogeneous Ricci flow on compact manifolds occur only on the total space of principal torus bundles. Under an algebraic assumption that guarantees flowing through diagonal metrics and a tameness assumption on the collapsing directions, we prove that such solutions have additional symmetries, i.e., they are invariant under the right action of their collapsing torus. As a byproduct of these additional torus symmetries, we prove that these solutions converge, backward in time, in the Gromov-Hausdorff topology to an Einstein metric on the base of a torus bundle.

In this paper we study 4d gradient steady Ricci solitons, which are weak $\kappa$-solutions, and admit O(3)-symmetry. Under a weak curvature decay condition, we find precise geometric asymptotics of such solitons, which are similar to those for 3d compact $\kappa$-solutions found in [ABDS22]. This is the first step towards the classification of 4d gradient steady Ricci solitons and more general ancient Ricci flows.

We establish the scalar curvature and distance bounds, extending Perelman's work on the Fano Kähler-Ricci flow to general finite time solutions of the Kähler-Ricci flow. These bounds are achieved by our Li-Yau type and Harnack estimates for weighted Ricci potential functions of the Kähler-Ricci flow. We further prove that the Type I blow-ups of the finite time solution always sub-converge in Gromov-Hausdorff sense to an ancient solution on a family of analytic normal varieties with suitable choices of base points. As a consequence, the Type I diameter bound is proved for almost every fibre of collapsing solutions of the Kähler-Ricci flow on a Fano fibre bundle. We also apply our estimates to show that every solution of the Kähler-Ricci flow with Calabi symmetry must develop Type I singularities, including both cases of high codimensional contractions and fibre collapsing.