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Claude LeBrun

Publications and source records attributed to Claude LeBrun.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2015

Einstein Metrics, Harmonic Forms, and Symplectic Four-Manifolds

If $M$ is the underlying smooth oriented $4$-manifold of a Del Pezzo surface, we consider the set of Riemannian metrics $h$ on $M$ such that $W^+(ω, ω)> 0$, where $W^+$ is the self-dual Weyl curvature of $h$, and $ω$ is a non-trivial self-dual harmonic $2$-form on $(M,h)$. While this open region in the space of Riemannian metrics contains all the known Einstein metrics on $M$, we show that it contains no others. Consequently, it contributes exactly one connected component to the moduli space of Einstein metrics on $M$.

math.DG↗
arXiv2015

The Einstein-Maxwell Equations and Conformally Kaehler Geometry

Page's Einstein metric on CP_2 # (-CP_2) is conformally related to an extremal Kaehler metric. Here we construct a family of conformally Kähler solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations that deforms the Page metric, while sweeping out the entire Kaehler cone of CP_2 # (-CP_2).The same method also yields analogous solutions on every Hirzebruch surface. This allows us to display infinitely many geometrically distinct families of solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations on the smooth 4-manifolds S^2 x S^2 and CP_2 # (-CP_2).

math.DG↗
arXiv2015

The Einstein-Maxwell Equations, Kaehler Metrics, and Hermitian Geometry

Any constant-scalar-curvature Kaehler (cscK) metric on a complex surface may be viewed as a solution of the Einstein-Maxwell equations, and this allows one to produce solutions of these equations on any 4-manifold that arises as a compact complex surface with b_1 even. It is shown, however, that not all solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations on such manifolds arise in this way; new examples can be constructed by means of conformally Kaehler geometry.

math.DG↗
arXiv2013

Calabi Energies of Extremal Toric Surfaces

We derive a formula for the L^2 norm of the scalar curvature of any extremal Kaehler metric on a compact toric manifold, stated purely in terms of the geometry of the corresponding moment polytope. The main interest of this formula pertains to the case of complex dimension 2, where it plays a key role in construction of Bach-flat metrics on appropriate 4-manifolds.

math.DG↗
arXiv2013

Weyl Curvature, Del Pezzo Surfaces, and Almost-Kaehler Geometry

If a smooth compact 4-manifold M admits a Kaehler-Einstein metric g of positive scalar curvature, Gursky showed that its conformal class [g] is an absolute minimizer of the Weyl functional among all conformal classes with positive Yamabe constant. Here we prove that, with the same hypotheses, [g] also minimizes of the Weyl functional on a different open set of conformal classes, most of which have negative Yamabe constant. An analogous minimization result is then proved for Einstein metrics g which are Hermitian, but not Kaehler.

math.DG↗
arXiv2013

Edges, Orbifolds, and Seiberg-Witten Theory

Seiberg-Witten theory is used to obtain new obstructions to the existence of Einstein metrics on 4-manifolds with conical singularities along an embedded surface. In the present article, the cone angle is required to be of the form 2(pi)/p, where p is a positive integer, but we conjecture that similar results will also hold in greater generality.

math.DG↗
arXiv2012

Curvature, Cones, and Characteristic Numbers

We study Einstein metrics on smooth compact 4-manifolds with an edge-cone singularity of specified cone angle along an embedded 2-manifold. To do so, we first derive modified versions of the Gauss-Bonnet and signature theorems for arbitrary Riemannian 4-manifolds with edge-cone singularities, and then show that these yield non-trivial obstructions in the Einstein case. We then use these integral formulae to obtain interesting information regarding gravitational instantons which arise as limits of such edge-cone manifolds.

math.DG↗
arXiv2010

Einstein Manifolds and Extremal Kahler Metrics

In joint work with Chen and Weber, the author has elsewhere shown that CP2#2(-CP2) admits an Einstein metric. The present paper gives a new and rather different proof of this fact. Our results include new existence theorems for extremal Kahler metrics, and these allow one to prove the above existence statement by deforming the Kahler-Einstein metric on CP2#3(-CP2) until bubbling-off occurs.

math.DG↗
arXiv2010

On Einstein, Hermitian 4-Manifolds

Let (M,h) be a compact 4-dimensional Einstein manifold, and suppose that h is Hermitian with respect to some complex structure J on M. Then either (M,J,h) is Kaehler-Einstein, or else, up to rescaling and isometry, it is one of the following two exceptions: the Page metric on CP2 # (-CP2), or the Einstein metric on CP2 # 2 (-CP2) constructed in Chen-LeBrun-Weber.

math.DG↗
arXiv2010

Zoll Metrics, Branched Covers, and Holomorphic Disks

We strengthen our previous results regarding the moduli spaces of Zoll metrics and Zoll projective structures on S^2. In particular, we describe a concrete, open condition which suffices to guarantee that a totally real embedding of RP^2 in CP_2 arises from a unique Zoll projective structure on the 2-sphere. Our methods ultimately reflect the special role such structures play in the initial value problem for the 3-dimensional Lorentzian Einstein-Weyl equations.

math.DG↗
arXiv2008

The Einstein-Weyl Equations, Scattering Maps, and Holomorphic Disks

We show that conformally compact, globally hyperbolic, Lorentzian Einstein-Weyl 3-manifolds are in natural one-to-one correspondence with orientation-reversing diffeomorphisms of the 2-sphere. The proof hinges on a holomorphic-disk analog of Hitchin's mini-twistor correspondence.

math.DG↗
arXiv2008

The Einstein-Maxwell Equations, Extremal Kahler Metrics, and Seiberg-Witten Theory

The Einstein-Maxwell equations on a smooth compact 4-manifold are reformulated as a purely Riemannian variational problem analogous to Calabi's variational problem for extremal Kahler metrics. Next, Seiberg-Witten theory is used to show that these two problems are in fact intimately related. Extremal Kahler metrics are then used to probe the limits of Seiberg-Witten curvature estimates. The article then concludes with a brief survey of some recent results on extremal Kahler metrics.

math.DG↗
arXiv2007

On Optimal 4-Dimensional Metrics

We completely determine, up to homeomorphism, which simply connected compact oriented 4-manifolds admit scalar-flat, anti-self-dual Riemannian metrics. The key new ingredient is a proof that the connected sum of five reverse-oriented complex projective planes admits such metrics.

math.DG↗
arXiv2007

On Conformally Kaehler, Einstein Manifolds

We prove that any compact complex surface with positive first Chern class admits an Einstein metric which is conformally related to a Kaehler metric. The key new ingredient is the existence of such a metric on the blow-up of the complex projective plane at two distinct points.

math.DG↗
arXiv2006

Four-Manifolds, Curvature Bounds, and Convex Geometry

A simplified, user-friendly repackaging of the curvature estimates implied by the Seiberg-Witten equations is formulated in terms of the convex hull of the set of monopole classes. New results are also obtained concerning boundary cases of the resulting forms of the curvature estimates.

math.DG↗
arXiv2006

Perelman's Invariant, Ricci Flow, and the Yamabe Invariants of Smooth Manifolds

In his study of Ricci flow, Perelman introduced a smooth-manifold invariant called lambda-bar. We show here that, for completely elementary reasons, this invariant simply equals the Yamabe invariant, alias the sigma constant, whenever the latter is non-positive. On the other hand, the Perelman invariant just equals + infinity whenever the Yamabe invariant is positive.

math.DG↗
arXiv2005

Twistors, Holomorphic Disks, and Riemann Surfaces with Boundary

Moduli spaces of holomorphic disks in a complex manifold Z, with boundaries constrained to lie in a maximal totally real submanifold P, have recently been found to underlie a number of geometrically rich twistor correspondences. The purpose of this paper is to develop a general Fredholm regularity criterion for holomorphic curves-with-boundary, and then show how this applies, in particular, to various moduli problems of twistor-theoretic interest.

math.DG↗