arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Anand Dessai.
In every odd dimension $n\geq 5$ we exhibit large classes of closed $n$-dimensional manifolds which admit infinitely many different geometries of positive Ricci curvature, i.e., manifolds for which their moduli space of metrics of positive Ricci curvature has infinitely many connected components.
In C. R. Math. Acad. Sci. Paris 348 (2010) pp. 283--285 (arXiv:0811.0840) we constructed examples of $S^1$-manifolds with finite second homotopy group and non-vanishing $\hat A$-genus. The reasoning was based on an equivariant surgery lemma which only holds under additional assumptions. To remedy the situation we give a construction using explicit equivariant surgeries.
In each dimension $4k+1\geq 9$, we exhibit infinite families of closed manifolds with fundamental group $\mathbb Z_2$ for which the moduli space of metrics of nonnegative sectional curvature has infinitely many path components. Examples of closed manifolds with finite fundamental group with this property were known before only in dimension $5$ and dimensions $4k+3\geq 7$.
We show that the moduli space of metrics of nonnegative sectional curvature on every homotopy ${\mathbb {R}} P^5$ has infinitely many path components. We also show that in each dimension $4k+1$ there are at least $2^{2k}$ homotopy ${\mathbb {R}} P^{4k+1}$s of pairwise distinct oriented diffeomorphism type for which the moduli space of metrics of positive Ricci curvature has infinitely many path components. Examples of closed manifolds with finite fundamental group with these properties were known before only in dimensions $4k+3\geq 7$.
Let $M$ be a Milnor sphere or, more generally, the total space of a linear $S^3$-bundle over $S^4$ with $H^4(M;\mathbb{Q})=0$. We show that the moduli space of metrics of nonnegative sectional curvature on $M$ has infinitely many path components. The same holds true for the moduli space of metrics of positive Ricci curvature on $M$.
We show that in each dimension $4n+3$, $n\ge 1$, there exist infinite sequences of closed smooth simply connected manifolds $M$ of pairwise distinct homotopy type for which the moduli space of Riemannian metrics with nonnegative sectional curvature has infinitely many path components. Closed manifolds with these properties were known before only in dimension seven, and our result does also hold for moduli spaces of Riemannian metrics with positive Ricci curvature. Moreover, in conjunction with work of Belegradek, Kwasik and Schultz, we obtain that for each such $M$ the moduli space of complete nonnegative sectional curvature metrics on the open simply connected manifold $M\times\mathbb {R}$ also has infinitely many components.
We give the diffeomorphism classification of complete intersections with S^1-symmetry in dimension less than or equal to 6. In particular, we show that a 6-dimensional complete intersection admits a smooth non-trivial S^1-action if and only if it is diffeomorphic to the complex projective space or the quadric. We also prove that in any odd complex dimension only finitely many complete intersections can carry a smooth effective action by a torus of rank $>1$.
We study fixed points of smooth torus actions on closed manifolds using fixed point formulas and equivariant elliptic genera. We also give applications to positively curved Riemannian manifolds with symmetry.
We construct several infinite families of nonnegatively curved manifolds of low cohomogeneity and small dimension which can be distinguished by their cohomology rings. In particular, we exhibit an infinite family of eight-dimensional cohomogeneity one manifolds of nonnegative curvature with pairwise non-isomorphic complex cohomology rings.
We discuss a question by Felix, Oprea, and Tanre concerning nonnegative curvature and (rational) homotopy type.
In this paper we show that a simply connected 8-dimensional manifold M of positive sectional curvature and symmetry rank $\geq 2$ resembles a rank one symmetric space in several ways. For example, the Euler characteristic of M is equal to the Euler characteristic of S^8, H P^2 or C P^4. And if M is rationally elliptic then M is rationally isomorphic to a rank one symmetric space. For torsion-free manifolds we derive a much stronger classification. We also study the bordism type of 8-dimensional manifolds of positive sectional curvature and symmetry rank $\geq 2$. As an illustration we apply our results to various families of 8-manifolds.
We construct examples of $S^1$-manifolds with finite second homotopy group and non-vanishing $\hat A$-genus. This is related to the classification of positive quaternionic Kaehler manifolds.
We show that the indices of certain twisted Dirac operators vanish on a $Spin$-manifold $M$ of positive sectional curvature if the symmetry rank of $M$ is $\geq 2$ or if the symmetry rank is one and $M$ is two connected. We also give examples of simply connected manifolds of positive Ricci curvature which do not admit a metric of positive sectional curvature and positive symmetry rank.
Let $M$ be a $Spin$-manifold with $S^1$-action and let $σ\in S^1$ be of finite order. We show that the indices of certain twisted Dirac operators vanish if the action of $σ$ has sufficiently large fixed point codimension. These indices occur in the Fourier expansion of the elliptic genus of $M$ in one of its cusps. As a by-product we obtain a new proof of a theorem of Hirzebruch and Slodowy on involutions.
We give bordism-finiteness results for manifolds with semi-simple group action. Consider the class of oriented manifolds which admit a circle action with isolated fixed points such that the action extends to an $S^3$-action with fixed point. We exhibit various subclasses, characterized by an upper bound for the Euler characteristic and properties of the first Pontrjagin class, which contain only finitely many oriented bordism types in any given dimension. Also we show finiteness results for homotopy complex projective spaces and complete intersections with $S^3$-action as above.
Let $M$ be a manifold homotopy equivalent to the complex projective space $\C P^m$. Petrie conjectured that $M$ has standard total Pontrjagin class if $M$ admits a non-trivial action by $S^1$. We prove the conjecture for $m<12$ under the assumption that the action extends to a nice $Pin(2)$-action with fixed point. The proof involves equivariant index theory for $Spin^c$-manifolds and Jacobi functions as well as classical results from the theory of transformation groups.
Let $M$ be a simply-connected closed manifold of dimension $\geq 5$ which does not admit a metric with positive scalar curvature. We give necessary conditions for $M$ to admit a scalar-flat metric. These conditions involve the first Pontrjagin class and the cohomology ring of $M$. As a consequence any simply-connected scalar-flat manifold of dimension $\geq 5$ with vanishing first Pontrjagin class admits a metric with positive scalar curvature. We also describe some relations between scalar-flat metrics, almost complex structures and the free loop space.