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Georg Frenck

Publications and source records attributed to Georg Frenck.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Spaces of metrics with positive spectral scalar curvature

Let $n\geq2$ and let $M^n$ be a closed connected smooth manifold. Let $R^\gamma(M)$ be the space of smooth Riemannian metrics $g$ on $M$ for which the generalized conformal Laplace operator $-\gamma\Delta_g+\mathrm{R}_g$ is strictly positive. We prove that if $n=2$ and $\gamma>0$, or if $n\ge3$ and $0< \gamma \leq 4(n-1)/(n-2)$, the inclusion $R^0(M)\hookrightarrow R^\gamma(M)$ is a homotopy equivalence, thus generalizing, to all dimensions and in the maximal range, the results of Botvinnik--Rosenberg and Li--Mantoulidis. Then, we prove that if $n\ge3$ and $\gamma>4(n-1)/(n-2)$, the space $R^\gamma(M)$ is contractible, and hence nonempty. This solves a homotopy-theoretic strengthening of a conjecture of Gromov (Conjecture 3, Section 6.1.2, "Four Lectures on Scalar Curvature") in the maximal possible coefficient range. Concerning Gromov's conjecture we also treat the equivariant case and the case of manifolds with boundary.

math.DG↗
arXiv2026

Scalar Curvature Rigidity for Products of convex Hypersurfaces and even dimensional Manifolds

We give a proof of scalar curvature rigidity in the spirit of Llarull and Goette-Semmelmann for products of strictly convex hypersurfaces in Euclidean space and nonnegatively curved spaces with non-vanishing Euler-characteristic. Our proof is based on the Fredholm family index theorem. This recovers corresponding results of Lockman-Zeidler where Clifford-linear (family) index theory is used.

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arXiv2026

The doubling conjecture for positive scalar curvature

The doubling conjecture predicts that a manifold admits positive scalar curvature with mean convex boundary if and only if its double admits positive scalar curvature. We show that it holds true for manifolds where the inclusion of the boundary satisfies a certain split-condition on fundamental groups. Our proof is based on surgery-techniques for positive scalar and mean curvature. If the boundary is non-connected, we use existence of area-minimizing hypersurfaces and the monotonicity-formula. Furthermore, we investigate if a psc-metric on a closed manifold can be adjusted so that a given embedded hypersurface is minimal, stable minimal or totally geodesic. While not true in general, such an adjustment is possible in many cases.

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arXiv2026

The lock principle for scalar curvature

We prove a Riemannian positive mass theorem for asymptotically flat spin manifolds with hypersurface singularities. Unlike earlier results, some components of the singular set may be mean-concave, provided that other components of the singular set are sufficiently mean-convex. Our proof uses initial data sets where a suitably chosen second fundamental form transfers convexity defects between different singularity components.

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arXiv2026

Surgery and total mean curvature

We prove Gromov's conjecture on the total mean curvature of fill-ins in various cases. Our methods are based on surgery to reduce the statement to fill-ins of spheres, which can be treated by instances of the positive mass theorem. For spin fill-ins, where we permit the mean curvature to take negative values, we build on a classical surgery result of Lawson-Michelsohn and a recent positive mass theorem with creases by Kazaras-Khuri-Lin. For non-spin fill-ins of spin manifolds, where we assume the mean curvature to be non-negative, we develop a novel quantitative surgery process to reduce the general situation to a result of Shi-Wang-Wei. We also treat the case of fill-ins of non-spin manifolds, provided there is a fixed positive lower bound on the mean curvature.

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arXiv2024

Positive scalar curvature with point singularities

We show that in every dimension $n \geq 8$, there exists a smooth closed manifold $M^n$ which does not admit a smooth positive scalar curvature ("psc") metric, but $M$ admits an $\mathrm{L}^\infty$-metric which is smooth and has psc outside a singular set of codimension $\geq 8$. This provides counterexamples to a conjecture of Schoen. In fact, there are such examples of arbitrarily high dimension with only single point singularities. We also discuss related phenomena on exotic spheres and tori. In addition, we provide examples of $\mathrm{L}^\infty$-metrics on $\mathbb{R}^n$ for certain $n \geq 8$ which are smooth and have psc outside the origin, but cannot be smoothly approximated away from the origin by everywhere smooth Riemannian metrics of non-negative scalar curvature. This stands in precise contrast to established smoothing results via Ricci-DeTurck flow for singular metrics with stronger regularity assumptions. Finally, as a positive result, we describe a $\mathrm{KO}$-theoretic condition which obstructs the existence of $\mathrm{L}^\infty$-metrics that are smooth and of psc outside a finite subset. This shows that closed enlargeable spin manifolds do not carry such metrics.

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arXiv2022

Spaces of Positive Scalar Curvature metrics on totally nonspin Manifolds with spin boundary

In this article we study the space of positive scalar curvature metrics on totally nonspin manifolds with spin boundary. We prove that for such manifolds of certain dimensions, those spaces are not connected and have nontrivial fundamental group. Furthermore we show that a well-known propagation technique for detection results on spaces of positive scalar curvature metrics on spin manifolds ceases to work in the totally nonspin case.

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arXiv2021

Sphericity of $\kappa$-classes and positive curvature via block bundles

Given a simply connected manifold $M$, we completely determine which rational monomial Pontryagin numbers are attained by fiber homotopy trivial $M$-bundles over the $k$-sphere, provided that $k$ is small compared to the dimension of $M$. Furthermore we study the vector space of rational cobordism classes represented by such bundles. We give upper and lower bounds on its dimension and we construct manifolds for which these bounds are attained. The proof is based on the classical approach to studying diffeomorphism groups via block bundles and surgery theory and we make use of ideas developed by Krannich--Kupers--Randal-Williams. As an application, we show the existence of elements of infinite order in the homotopy groups of the spaces of positive Ricci and positive sectional curvature, provided that $M$ is spin, has a non-trivial rational Pontryagin class and admits such a metric. This is done by constructing $M$-bundles over spheres with non-vanishing $\hat{A}$-genus. Furthermore, we give a vanishing theorem for generalised Morita--Miller--Mumford classes for fiber homotopy trivial bundles over spheres. In the appendix co-authored by Jens Reinhold it is (partially) determined which classes of the rational oriented cobordism ring contain an element that fibers over a sphere of a given dimension.

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arXiv2021

H-Space structures on spaces of metrics of positive scalar curvature

We construct and study an $H$-space multiplication on $\mathcal R^+(M)$ for manifolds $M$ which are nullcobordant in their own tangential $2$-type. This is applied to give a rigidity criterion for the action of the diffeomorphism group on $\mathcal R^+(M)$ via pullback. We also compare this to other known multiplicative structures on $\mathcal R^+(M)$.

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arXiv2021

Diffeomorphisms and positive curvature

We prove the existence of elements of infinite order in the homotopy groups of the spaces $\mathcal{R}_{Ric>0}(M)$ and $\mathcal{R}_{sec>0}(M)$ of positive Ricci and positive sectional curvature, provided that $M$ is high-dimensional and Spin, admits such a metric and has a non-vanishing rational Pontryagin class.

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arXiv2020

Spaces of positive intermediate curvature metrics

In this paper we study spaces of Riemannian metrics with lower bounds on intermediate curvatures. We show that the spaces of metrics of positive p-curvature and k-positive Ricci curvature on a given high-dimensional Spin-manifold have many non-trivial homotopy groups provided that the manifold admits such a metric.

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arXiv2020

Bundles with non-multiplicative $\hat{A}$-genus and spaces of metrics with lower curvature bounds

We construct smooth bundles with base and fiber products of two spheres whose total spaces have non-vanishing $\hat{A}$-genus. We then use these bundles to locate non-trivial rational homotopy groups of spaces of Riemannian metrics with lower curvature bounds for all Spin-manifolds of dimension six or at least ten which admit such a metric and are a connected sum of some manifold and $S^n \times S^n$ or $S^n \times S^{n+1}$, respectively. We also construct manifolds $M$ whose spaces of Riemannian metrics of positive scalar curvature have homotopy groups that contain elements of infinite order which lie in the image of the orbit map induced by the push-forward action of the diffeomorphism group of $M$.

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arXiv2019

The action of the mapping class group on metrics of positive scalar curvature

We present a rigidity theorem for the action of the mapping class group $π_0(\mathrm{Diff}(M))$ on the space $\mathcal{R}^+(M)$ of metrics of positive scalar curvature for high dimensional manifolds $M$. This result is applicable to a great number of cases, for example to simply connected $6$-manifolds and high dimensional spheres. Our proof is fairly direct, using results from parametrised Morse theory, the $2$-index theorem and computations on certain metrics on the sphere. We also give a non-triviality criterion and a classification of the action for simply connected $7$-dimensional $\mathrm{Spin}$-manifolds.

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arXiv2018

The Gromov-Lawson-Chernysh surgery theorem

In this article, we give a complete and self--contained account of Chernysh's strengthening of the Gromov--Lawson surgery theorem for metrics of positive scalar curvature. No claim of originality is made.

math.DG↗