Geometry Seminar: S. Hirsch (Duke)

Geometry Seminar (Geometric Analysis)

Speaker: Sven Hirsch 

Title: On a generalization of Geroch's conjecture

Abstract: The theorem of Bonnet-Myers implies that manifolds with topology $M^{n-1}\times S^1$ do not admit a metric of positive Ricci curvature, while the resolution of Geroch's conjecture shows that the torus $T^n$ does not admit a metric of positive scalar curvature. In this talk I will introduce a new notion of curvature which interpolates between Ricci and scalar curvature (so-called $m$-intermediate curvature) and use stable weighted slicings to show that for $n\le7$ the manifolds $M^{n-m}\times T^m$ do not admit a metric of positive $m$-intermediate curvature. This is joint work with Simon Brendle and Florian Johne.