arXiv subjects

Thomas Mettler

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas Mettler.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

One-dimensional projective structures, convex curves and the ovals of Benguria & Loss

Benguria and Loss have conjectured that, amongst all smooth closed curves of length $2π$ in the plane, the lowest possible eigenvalue of the operator $L=-Δ+κ^2$ was one. They observed that this value was achieved on a two-parameter family, $\mathcal{O}$, of geometrically distinct ovals containing the round circle and collapsing to a multiplicity-two line segment. We characterize the curves in $\mathcal{O}$ as absolute minima of two related geometric functionals. We also discuss a connection with projective differential geometry and use it to explain the natural symmetries of all three problems.

math.DG↗

arXiv2013

Four-dimensional Kähler metrics admitting c-projective vector fields

A vector field on a Kähler manifold is called c-projective if its flow preserves the J-planar curves. We give a complete local classification of Kähler real 4-dimensional manifolds that admit an essential c-projective vector field. An important technical step is a local description of 4-dimensional c-projectively equivalent metrics of arbitrary signature. As an application of our results we prove the natural analog of the classical Yano-Obata conjecture in the pseudo-Riemannian 4-dimensional case.

math.DG↗

arXiv2013

Weyl metrisability of two-dimensional projective structures

We show that on a surface locally every affine torsion-free connection is projectively equivalent to a Weyl connection. First, this is done using exterior differential system theory. Second, this is done by showing that the solutions of the relevant PDE are in one-to-one correspondence with the sections of the `twistor' bundle of conformal inner products having holomorphic image. The second solution allows to use standard results in algebraic geometry to show that the Weyl connections on the two-sphere whose geodesics are the great circles are in one-to-one correspondence with the smooth quadrics without real points in the complex projective plane.

math.DG↗

arXiv2013

Two-dimensional gradient Ricci solitons revisited

In this note, we complete the classification of the geometry of non-compact two-dimensional gradient Ricci solitons. As a consequence, we obtain two corollaries: First, a complete two-dimensional gradient Ricci soliton has bounded curvature. Second, we give examples of complete two-dimensional expanding Ricci solitons with negative curvature that are topologically disks and are not hyperbolic space.

math.DG↗

arXiv2013

Reduction of beta-integrable 2-Segre structures

We show that locally every beta-integrable (2,n)-Segre structure can be reduced to a torsion-free S^1*GL(n,R)-structure. This is done by observing that such reductions correspond to sections with holomorphic image of a certain `twistor bundle'. For the homogeneous (2,n)-Segre structure on the oriented 2-plane Grassmannian, the reductions are shown to be in one-to-one correspondence with the smooth quadrics in CP^{n+1} without real points.

math.DG↗

arXiv2012

Local embeddability of real analytic path geometries

An almost complex structure J on a 4-manifold X may be described in terms of a rank 2 vector bundle E. A splitting of J consists of a pair of line bundles spanning E. A hypersurface M in X satisfying a nondegeneracy condition inherits a CR-structure from J and a path geometry from the splitting. Using the Cartan-Kähler theorem we show that locally every real analytic path geometry is induced by an embedding into C^2 equipped with the splitting generated by the real and imaginary part of the standard holomorphic volume form. As a corollary we obtain the well-known fact that every 3-dimensional nondegenerate real analytic CR-structure is locally induced by an embedding into C^2.

math.DG↗

arXiv2011

Soliton solutions of the mean curvature flow and minimal hypersurfaces

Let (M,g) be an oriented Riemannian manifold of dimension at least 3 and X a vector field on M. We show that the Monge-Ampère differential system (M.A.S.) for X-pseudosoliton hypersurfaces on (M,g) is equivalent to the minimal hypersurface M.A.S. on (M,g') for some Riemannian metric g', if and only if X is the gradient of a function u, in which case g'=exp(-2u)g. Counterexamples to this equivalence for surfaces are also given.

math.DG↗

arXiv2005

Charges of twisted branes: the exceptional cases

The charges of the twisted D-branes for the two exceptional cases (SO(8) with the triality automorphism and E_6 with charge conjugation) are determined. To this end the corresponding NIM-reps are expressed in terms of the fusion rules of the invariant subalgebras. As expected the charge groups are found to agree with those characterising the untwisted branes.

hep-th↗