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Xiaochun Rong

Publications and source records attributed to Xiaochun Rong.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Gromov-Hausdorff Limits of Aspherical Manifolds

Let $X$ be a compact Gromov-Hausdorff limit space of a collapsing sequence of compact $n$-manifolds, $M_i$, of Ricci curvature $\text{Ric}_{M_i}\ge -(n-1)$ and all points in $M_i$ are $(δ,ρ)$-local rewinding Reifenberg points, or sectional curvature $\text{sec}_{M_i}\ge -1$, respectively. We conjecture that if $M_i$ is an aspherical manifold of fundamental group satisfying a certain condition (e.g., a nilpotent group), then $X$ is a differentiable, or topological aspherical manifold, respectively. A main result in this paper asserts that if $M_i$ a diffeomorphic or homeomorphic to a nilmanifold, then $X$ is diffeomorphic or homeomorphic to a nilmanifold, respectively.

math.DG

Open Alexandrov spaces of nonnegative curvature

Let $X$ be an open (i.e. complete, non-compact and without boundary) Alexandrov $n$-space of nonnegative curvature with a soul $S$. In this paper, we will establish several structural results on $X$ that can be viewed as counterparts of structural results on an open Riemannian manifold with nonnegative sectional curvature.

math.DG

Quantitative Maximal Diameter Rigidity of Positive Ricci Curvature

In Riemannian geometry, the Cheng's maximal diameter rigidity theorem says that if a complete $n$-manifold $M$ of Ricci curvature, $\operatorname{Ric}_M\ge (n-1)$, has the maximal diameter $π$, then $M$ is isometric to the unit sphere $S^n_1$. The main result in this paper is a quantitative maximal diameter rigidity: if $M$ satisfies that $\operatorname{Ric}_M\ge n-1$, $\operatorname{diam}(M)\approx π$, and the Riemannian universal cover of every metric ball in $M$ of a definite radius satisfies a Riefenberg condition, then $M$ is diffeomorphic and bi-Hölder close to $S^n_1$.

math.DG

Quantitative Volume Space Form Rigidity Under Lower Ricci Curvature Bound

Let $M$ be a compact $n$-manifold of $\operatorname{Ric}_M\ge (n-1)H$ ($H$ is a constant). We are concerned with the following space form rigidity: $M$ is isometric to a space form of constant curvature $H$ under either of the following conditions: (i) There is $ρ>0$ such that for any $x\in M$, the open $ρ$-ball at $x^*$ in the (local) Riemannian universal covering space, $(U^*_ρ,x^*)\to (B_ρ(x),x)$, has the maximal volume i.e., the volume of a $ρ$-ball in the simply connected $n$-space form of curvature $H$. (ii) For $H=-1$, the volume entropy of $M$ is maximal i.e. $n-1$ ([LW1]). The main results of this paper are quantitative space form rigidity i.e., statements that $M$ is diffeomorphic and close in the Gromov-Hausdorff topology to a space form of constant curvature $H$, if $M$ almost satisfies, under some additional condition, the above maximal volume condition. For $H=1$, the quantitative spherical space form rigidity improves and generalizes the diffeomorphic sphere theorem in [CC2].

math.DG

Collapsed manifolds with local Ricci bounded covering geometry

For $ρ, v>0$, we say that an $n$-manifold $M$ satisfies local $(ρ,v)$-bound Ricci covering geometry, if Ricci curvature $\text{Ric}_M\ge -(n-1)$, and for all $x\in M$, $\text{vol}(B_ρ(\tilde x))\ge v>0$, where $\tilde x$ is an inverse image of $x$ on the (local) Riemannian universal cover of the $ρ$-ball at $x$. In this paper, we extend the nilpotent fiber bundle theorem of Cheeger-Fukaya-Gromov on a collapsed $n$-manifold $M$ of bounded sectional curvature to $M$ of a local $(ρ,v)$-bound Ricci covering geometry, and $M$ is close to a non-collapsed Riemannian manifold of lower dimension. The nilpotent fiber bundle theorem significantly improves fiber bundle theorem in [Hu], and it strengthens a nilpotent fiber bundle seen from [NZ] and implies the torus bundle in [HW], which are obtained under additional local or global topological conditions, respectively. Our construction of a nilpotent fibration requires a new proof for a result in [HKRX]: if an $n$-manifold $M$ with local $(1,v)$-bound Ricci covering geometry has diameter $<ε(n,v)$, a constant depends on $n$ and $v$, then $M$ is diffeomorphic to an infra-nilmanifold. The proof in [HKRX] is to show that the Ricci flows produces an almost flat metric, thus the result follows from the Gromov's theorem on almost flat manifolds. The new proof is independent of the Gromov's theorem, thus has which as a corollary. If the first Betti number $b_1(M)=n$, then $M$ satisfies a $(1,v)$-bound Ricci covering geometry, thus $M$ is diffeomorphic to a standard torus ([Co2]).

math.DG

Collapsing geometry with Ricci curvature bounded below and Ricci flow smoothing

We survey some recent developments in the study of collapsing Riemannian manifolds with Ricci curvature bounded below, especially the locally bounded Ricci covering geometry and the Ricci flow smoothing techniques. We then prove that if a Calabi-Yau manifold is sufficiently volume collapsed with bounded diameter and sectional curvature, then it admits a Ricci-flat Kähler metrictogether with a compatible pure nilpotent Killing structure: this is related to an open question of Cheeger, Fukaya and Gromov.

math.DG

A Generalized $π_2$-Diffeomorphism Finiteness Theorem

The $π_2$-diffeomorphism finiteness result (\cite{FR1,2}, \cite{PT}) asserts that the diffeomorphic types of compact $n$-manifolds $M$ with vanishing first and second homotopy groups can be bounded above in terms of $n$, and upper bounds on the absolute value of sectional curvature and diameter of $M$. In this paper, we will generalize this $π_2$-diffeomorphism finiteness by removing the condition that $π_1(M)=0$ and asserting the diffeomorphism finiteness on the Riemannian universal cover of $M$.

math.DG

Ricci curvature and isometric actions with scaling nonvanishing property

In the study manifolds of Ricci curvature bounded below, a stumbling obstruction is the lack of links between large-scale geometry and small-scale geometry at a fixed reference point. There have been few links (volume, dimension) when the unit ball at the point is not collapsed, that is, $\mathrm{vol}(B_1(p))\ge v>0$. In this paper, we conjecture a new link in terms of isometries: if the maximal displacement of an isometry $f$ on $B_1(p)$ is at least $δ>0$, then the maximal displacement of $f$ on the rescaled unit ball $r^{-1}B_r(p)$ is at least $Φ(δ,n,v)>0$ for all $r\in(0,1)$. We call this scaling $Φ$-nonvanishing property at $p$. We study the equivariant Gromov-Hausdorff convergence of a sequence of Riemannian universal covers with abelian $π_1(M_i,p_i)$-actions $(\widetilde{M}_i,\tilde{p}_i,π_1(M_i,p_i))\overset{GH}\longrightarrow(\widetilde{X},\tilde{p},G)$, where $π_1(M_i,p_i)$-action is scaling $Φ$-nonvanishing at $\tilde{p_i}$. We establish a dimension monotonicity on the limit group associated to any rescaling sequence. As one of the applications, we prove that for an open manifold $M$ of non-negative Ricci curvature, if the universal cover $\widetilde{M}$ has Euclidean volume growth and $π_1(M,p)$-action on $R^{-1}\widetilde{M}$ is scaling $Φ$-nonvanishing at $\tilde{p}$ for all $R$ large, then $π_1(M)$ is finitely generated.

math.DG

Collapsed Manifolds With Ricci Bounded Covering Geometry

We study collapsed manifolds with Ricci bounded covering geometry i.e., Ricci curvature is bounded below and the Riemannian universal cover is non-collapsed or consists of uniform Reifenberg points. Via Ricci flows' techniques, we partially extend the nilpotent structural results of Cheeger-Fukaya-Gromov, on collapsed manifolds with (sectional curvature) local bounded covering geometry, to manifolds with (global) Ricci boundedcovering geometry.

math.DG

A Geometric Approach to the Modified Milnor Problem

The Milnor Problem (modified) in the theory of group growth asks whether any finite presented group of vanishing algebraic entropy has at most polynomial growth. We show that a positive answer to the Milnor Problem (modified) is equivalent to the Nilpotency Conjecture in Riemannian geometry: given $n, d>0$, there exists a constant $ε(n,d)>0$ such that if a compact Riemannian $n$-manifold $M$ satisfies that Ricci curvature $\op{Ric}_M\ge -(n-1)$, diameter $d\ge \op{diam}(M)$ and volume entropy $h(M)<ε(n,d)$, then the fundamental group $π_1(M)$ is virtually nilpotent. We will verify the Nilpotency Conjecture in some cases, and we will verify the vanishing gap phenomena for more cases i.e., if $h(M)<ε(n,d)$, then $h(M)=0$.

math.DG

The Soul Conjecture in Alexandrov Geometry in dimension 4

In this paper, we prove the Soul Conjecture in Alexandrov geometry in dimension $4$, i.e. if $X$ is a complete non-compact $4$-dimensional Alexandrov space of non-negative curvature and positive curvature around one point, then a soul of $X$ is a point.

math.MG

Finite Quotient of Join in Alexandrov Geometry

Given two $n_i$-dimensional Alexandrov spaces $X_i$ of curvature $\ge 1$, the join of $X_1$ and $X_2$ is an $(n_1+n_2+1)$-dimensional Alexandrov space $X$ of curvature $\ge 1$, which contains $X_i$ as convex subsets such that their points are $\frac \pi2$ apart. If a group acts isometrically on a join that preserves $X_i$, then the orbit space is called quotient of join. We show that an $n$-dimensional Alexandrov space $X$ with curvature $\ge 1$ is isometric to a finite quotient of join, if $X$ contains two compact convex subsets $X_i$ without boundary such that $X_1$ and $X_2$ are at least $\frac \pi2$ apart and $\dim(X_1)+\dim(X_2)=n-1$.

math.MG

Quantitative Volume Space From Rigidity with lower Ricci curvature bound II

This is the second paper of two in a series under the same title ([CRX]); both study the quantitative volume space form rigidity conjecture: a closed $n$-manifold of Ricci curvature at least $(n-1)H$, $H=\pm 1$ or $0$ is diffeomorphic to a $H$-space form if for every ball of definite size on $M$, the lifting ball on the Riemannian universal covering space of the ball achieves an almost maximal volume, provided the diameter of $M$ is bounded for $H\ne 1$. In [CRX], we verified the conjecture for the case that $M$ or its Riemannian universal covering space $\tilde M$ is not collapsed for $H=1$ or $H\ne 1$ respectively. In the present paper, we will verify this conjecture for the case that Ricci curvature is also bounded above, while the above non-collapsing condition is not required.

math.DG

Degenerations of Ricci-flat Calabi-Yau manifolds

This paper is a sequel to arXiv:1012.2940. We further investigate the Gromov-Hausdorff convergence of Ricci-flat Kähler metrics under degenerations of Calabi-Yau manifolds. We extend Theorem 1.1 in arXiv:1012.2940 by removing the condition on existence of crepant resolutions for Calabi-Yau varieties.

math.DG

Bounding geometry of loops in Alexandrov spaces

For a path in a compact finite dimensional Alexandrov space $X$ with curv $\ge κ$, the two basic geometric invariants are the length and the turning angle (which measures the closeness from being a geodesic). We show that the sum of the two invariants of any loop is bounded from below in terms of $κ$, the dimension, diameter and Hausdorff measure of $X$. This generalizes a basic estimate of Cheeger on the length of a closed geodesic in closed Riemannian manifold ([Ch], [GP1,2]). To see that the above result also generalizes and improves an analogous of the Cheeger type estimate in Alexandrov geometry in [BGP], we show that for a class of subsets of $X$, the $n$-dimensional Hausdorff measure and rough volume are proportional by a constant depending on $n=\dim(X)$.

math.DG

Relatively maximum volume rigidity in Alexandrov geometry

Given a compact Alexadrov $n$-space $Z$ with curvature curv $\ge κ$, and let $f: Z\to X$ be a distance non-increasing onto map to another Alexandrov $n$-space with curv $\ge κ$. The relative volume rigidity conjecture says that if $X$ achieves the relative maximal volume i.e. $vol(Z)=vol(X)$, then $X$ is isometric to $Z/\sim$, where $z, z'\in\partial Z$ and $z\sim z'$ if only if $f(z)=f(z')$. We will partially verify this conjecture, and give a classification for compact Alexandrov $n$-spaces with relatively maximal volume. We will also give an elementary proof for a pointed version of Bishop-Gromov relative volume comparison with rigidity in Alexandrov geometry.

math.DG

Continuity of Extremal Transitions and Flops for Calabi-Yau Manifolds

In this paper, we study the behavior of Ricci-flat Kähler metrics on Calabi-Yau manifolds under algebraic geometric surgeries: extremal transitions or flops. We prove a version of Candelas and de la Ossa's conjecture: Ricci-flat Calabi-Yau manifolds related by extremal transitions and flops can be connected by a path consisting of continuous families of Ricci-flat Calabi-Yau manifolds and a compact metric space in the Gromov-Hausdorff topology. In an essential step of the proof of our main result, the convergence of Ricci-flat Kähler metrics on Calabi-Yau manifolds along a smoothing is established, which can be of independent interests.

math.DG