Introduction to the Ricci Flow

WS 2019/2020
Exercise Sheet 9

Each exercise gives two points for a total of eight points on this sheet.

1. Let M be a compact surface. A smooth family of metrics (gt )t∈[0,T ] is a solution of the
normalized Ricci flow, if
!
Z  Z −1
∂t gt = − Kgt − volgt Kgt volgt gt .
M M

Show that the volume is constant in time along the normalized Ricci flow, i.e.
Z
d
volgt = 0.
dt M

Remark. By the Gauß–Bonnet theorem

Z
Kgt volgt
M

is also independent of t, so that

Z −1 Z
volgt Kgt volgt
M M

is actually constant in time.

2. Let M be a compact surface and suppose that (gt )t∈[0,T ] is a solution of the normalized
Ricci flow. Compute ∂t Kgt and ∂t |dKgt |2gt .

3. Let M be a compact surface and suppose that (gt )t∈[0,T ] is a solution of the normalized
Ricci flow. Suppose moreover that Kgt > 0. Now define Lt = log Kgt .
Show that
Z −1 Z
∂t Lt + ∆gt Lt = |dLt |2gt + 2Kgt − 2 volgt Kgt volgt .
M M

4. Let M be a compact surface and suppose that (gt )t∈[0,T ] is a solution of the Ricci flow.
Show that Z Z Z
d1
Kg2t volgt = − |dKgt |2 volgt + Kg3t volgt .
dt 2 M M M