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This paper is a tribute to Robert Bartnik and his work and conjectures on quasi-local mass. We present a framework in which to clearly analyse Bartnik's static vacuum extension conjecture. While we prove that this conjecture is not true in general, it remains a fundamental open problem to understand the realm of its validity., Comment: 32 pages

We discuss relations between the initial boundary value problem (IBVP) and quasi-local Hamiltonians in GR. The latter have traditionally been based on Dirichlet boundary conditions, which however are shown here to be ill-posed for the IBVP. We present and analyse several other choices of boundary conditions which are better behaved with respect to the IBVP and carry out a corresponding Hamiltonian analysis, using the framework of the covariant phase space method., Comment: 22 pages

We formulate an initial boundary value problem (IBVP) for the vacuum Einstein equations by describing the boundary conditions of a spacetime metric in its associated gauge. This gauge is determined, equivariantly with respect to diffeomorphisms, by the spacetime metric. The vacuum spacetime metric $g$ and its associated gauge $\phi_g$ are solved simultaneously in local harmonic coordinates. Further we show that vacuum spacetimes satisfying fixed initial-boundary conditions and corner conditions are geometrically unique near the initial surface. Finally, in analogy to the solution of the Cauchy problem, we also construct a unique maximal globally hyperbolic solution of the IBVP., Comment: 48 pages; The Introduction has been rewritten to clarify the exposition and results, more detailed discussion of the corner geometry is added, and minor mistakes in the previous manuscript have been corrected

This paper surveys recent progress on issues related to the Bartnik quasi-local mass $m_B$. In addition, we formulate a number of new problems and conjectures regarding foundational properties of the mass $m_B$. This work is dedicated with pleasure to Robert Bartnik in honor of his 60th birthday., Comment: 14 pages

In this work, we use the global analysis and degree-theoretic methods introduced by Smale to study the existence and multiplicity of solutions of the vacuum Einstein constraint equations given by the conformal method of Lichnerowicz-Choquet-Bruhat-York. In particular this approach gives a new proof of the existence result of Maxwell and Holst-Nagy-Tsogtgerel. We also relate the method to the limit equation of Dahl-Gicquaud-Humbert and the non-existence result of Nguyen., Comment: Final version, 31 pages, To appear in ATMP

We introduce a new perspective on the classical Nirenberg problem of understanding the possible Gauss curvatures of metrics on $S^{2}$ conformal to the round metric. A key tool is to employ the smooth Cheeger-Gromov compactness theorem to obtain general and essentially sharp a priori estimates for Gauss curvatures $K$ contained in naturally defined stable regions. We prove that in such stable regions, the map $u \rightarrow K_{g}$, $g = e^{2u}g_{+1}$ is a proper Fredholm map with well-defined degree on each component. This leads to a number of new existence and non-existence results. We also present a new proof and generalization of the Moser theorem on Gauss curvatures of even conformal metrics on $S^{2}$. In contrast to previous work, the work here does not use any of the Sobolev-type inequalities of Trudinger-Moser-Aubin-Onofri., Comment: Final version, to appear in Comm. Math. Helv, 44 pages

We introduce an elliptic regularization of the PDE system representing the isometric immersion of a surface in $\mathbb R^{3}$. The regularization is geometric, and has a natural variational interpretation., Comment: 9 pages

Given a Riemannian 3-ball $(\bar B, g)$ of non-negative scalar curvature, Bartnik conjectured that $(\bar B, g)$ admits an asymptotically flat (AF) extension (without horizons) of the least possible ADM mass, and that such a mass-minimizer is an AF solution to the static vacuum Einstein equations, uniquely determined by natural geometric conditions on the boundary data of $(\bar B, g)$. We prove the validity of the second statement, i.e.~such mass-minimizers, if they exist, are indeed AF solutions of the static vacuum equations. On the other hand, we prove that the first statement is not true in general; there is a rather large class of bodies $(\bar B, g)$ for which a minimal mass extension does not exist., Comment: 38 pages, 4 figures

We prove that given any smooth metric $\gamma$ and smooth positive function $H$ on $S^{2}$, there is a constant $\lambda > 0$, depending on $(\gamma, H)$, and an asymptotically flat solution $(M, g, u)$ of the static vacuum Einstein equations on $M = {\mathbb R}^{3} \setminus B^{3}$, such that the induced metric and mean curvature of $(M, g, u)$ at $\partial M$ are given by $(\gamma, \lambda H)$. This gives a partial resolution of a conjecture of Bartnik., Comment: Substantial simplification of proof of main theorem. To appear in Class. Quantum Gravity

We prove that compact 3-manifolds $M$ of constant curvature +1 with boundary a minimal surface are locally naturally parametrized by the conformal class of the boundary metric $\gamma$ in the Teichmuller space of $\partial M$, when $genus(\partial M) \geq 2$. Stronger results are obtained in the case of genus 1 boundary, giving in particular a new proof of Brendle's solution of the Lawson conjecture. The results generalize to constant mean curvature surfaces, and surfaces in flat and hyperbolic 3-manifolds., Comment: withdrawn for reconstruction. Error in the "stability argument" on p.22

We study solutions to the static vacuum Einstein equations on exterior domains with prescribed metric and mean curvature on the inner boundary. It is proved that for any such boundary data near the standard round boundary data in Euclidean space, there exists a unique AF solution to the static vacuum equations realizing the boundary data, which is close to the standard flat solution., Comment: 5 pages

Let (M, g) be a compact Einstein manifold with non-empty boundary. We prove that Killing fields at the boundary extend to Killing fields of any (M, g) provided the boundary is weakly convex and a simple condition on the fundamental group holds. This gives a new proof of the classical infinitesimal rigidity of convex surfaces in Euclidean space and generalizes the result to Einstein metrics of any dimension., Comment: withdrawn for reconstruction; error in "stability argument" on p.13

We study the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the static vacuum Einstein equations in bounded domains, satisfying the Bartnik boundary conditions of prescribed metric and mean curvature on the boundary., Comment: 30pp

We prove the existence of (branched) conformal immersions F: S^2 -> R^3 with mean curvature H > 0 arbitrarily prescribed up to a 3-dimensional affine indeterminacy. A similar result is proved for the space forms S^3, H^3 and partial results for surfaces of higher genus., Comment: 20 pages

We prove a semi-global result on the existence of conformal embeddings of the two-sphere into the round three-sphere S^3(1) with prescribed mean curvature., Comment: This article is being withdrawn. 1) More general results are now proved in arXiv:1204.5225. 2) As pointed out to me by Jose Espinar (thanks Jose), the area bound proof in reference [11] by Ho is incorrect, which affects the proof of the main result here

We derive and study supergravity BPS flow equations for M5 or D3 branes wrapping a Riemann surface. They take the form of novel geometric flows intrinsically defined on the surface. Their dual field-theoretic interpretation suggests the existence of solutions interpolating between an arbitrary metric in the UV and the constant-curvature metric in the IR. We confirm this conjecture with a rigorous global existence proof., Comment: 52 pages, 3 figures

We discuss the problem of prescribing the mean curvature and conformal class as boundary data for Einstein metrics on 3-manifolds, in the context of natural elliptic boundary value problems for Riemannian metrics., Comment: 12 pages; to appear in the volume in honor of Jeff Cheeger's 65th birthday

We analyse the definition of quasi-local energy in GR based on a Hamiltonian analysis of the Einstein-Hilbert action initiated by Brown-York. The role of the constraint equations, in particular the Hamiltonian constraint on the timelike boundary, neglected in previous studies, is emphasized here. We argue that a consistent definition of quasi-local energy in GR requires, at a minimum, a framework based on the (currently unknown) geometric well-posedness of the initial boundary value problem for the Einstein equations., Comment: 9 pages

We analyse the issue of uniqueness of solutions of the static vacuum Einstein equations with prescribed geometric or Bartnik boundary data. Large classes of examples are constructed where uniqueness fails. We then discuss the implications of this behavior for the Bartnik quasi-local mass. A variational characterization of Bartnik boundary data is also given., Comment: This article is withdrawn, and part of its content has been absorbed into the new version of arXiv:0909.4550

We develop a framework for understanding the existence of asymptotically flat solutions to the static vacuum Einstein equations with prescribed boundary data consisting of the induced metric and mean curvature on a 2-sphere. A partial existence result is obtained, giving a partial resolution of a conjecture of Bartnik on such static vacuum extensions. The existence and uniqueness of such extensions is closely related to Bartnik's definition of quasi-local mass., Comment: 33 pages, 1 figure. Minor revision of v2. Final version, to appear in Class. Quantum Gravity

We survey some aspects of the current state of research on Einstein metrics on compact 4-manifolds. A number of open problems are presented and discussed., Comment: 30pp, to appear in Handbook of Geometric Analysis. Final version has only minor changes from v1

Unique continuation results are proved for metrics with prescribed Ricci curvature in the setting of bounded metrics on compact manifolds with boundary, and in the setting of complete, conformally compact metrics. Related to this issue, an isometry extension property is proved: continuous groups of isometries at conformal infinity extend into the bulk of any complete conformally compact Einstein metric. Relations of this property with the invariance of the Gauss-Codazzi constraint equations under deformations are also discussed., Comment: 32 pages, supercedes math.DG/0501067; final published version

This paper is withdrawn., Comment: This paper is withdrawn

We investigate the validity of the isometry extension property for (Riemannian) Einstein metrics on manifolds with boundary. Given a metric on the boundary, this is the issue of whether any Killing field of the boundary metric extends to a Killing field of any bulk or filling Einstein metric inducing the given data on the boundary. Under a mild condition on the fundamental group, this is proved to be the case at least when the Killing field preserves the mean curvature of the boundary., Comment: Correction to proof of main result given in new Appendix

On any given compact (n+1)-manifold M with non-empty boundary, it is proved that the moduli space of Einstein metrics on M is a smooth, infinite dimensional Banach manifold under a mild condition on the fundamental group. Thus, the Einstein moduli space is unobstructed. The Dirichlet and Neumann boundary maps to data on the boundary are smooth, but not Fredholm. Instead, one has natural mixed boundary-value problems which give Fredholm boundary maps. These results also hold for manifolds with compact boundary which have a finite number of locally asymptotically flat ends, as well as for the Einstein equations coupled to many other fields., Comment: 23pp, significant corrections

We study global aspects of complete, non-singular asymptotically locally AdS spacetimes solving the vacuum Einstein equations whose conformal infinity is an arbitrary globally stationary spacetime. It is proved that any such solution which is asymptotically stationary to the past and future is itself globally stationary. This gives certain rigidity or uniqueness results for exact AdS and related spacetimes., Comment: 18pp, significant revision of v1

We prove certain weak or idealized existence results for minimizers of the natural quadratic curvature functionals on the space of metrics on 4-manifolds. Overall, we try to exhibit the relations with the picture in 3-dimensions provided by Thurston geometrization. The existence results apply in particular to the structure of the moduli spaces of such metrics, and as such generalize most of the known results for moduli of Einstein metrics., Comment: 32 pages, article In Memory of S.S. Chern

We discuss a number of topics in the area of conformally compact Einstein metrics, mostly centered around the global existence question of finding such metrics with an arbitrarily prescribed conformal infinity. The paper is partly a survey of this area but also presents new results and a number of open problems., Comment: 24pp, to appear in Proc. CRM, Montreal

Final version in paper linked above., Comment: This paper is now replaced by 0710.1305

We show that a set of conformally invariant equations derived from the Fefferman-Graham tensor can be used to construct global solutions of the vacuum Einstein equations, in all even dimensions. This gives, in particular, a new, simple proof of Friedrich's result on the future hyperboloidal stability of Minkowski space-time, and extends its validity to even dimensions., Comment: 25pp

A new proof of Friedrich's theorem on the existence and stability of asymptotically de Sitter spaces in 3+1 dimensions is given, which extends to all even dimensions. In addition, we characterize the possible limits of spaces which are globally asymptotically de Sitter, to the past and future., Comment: 15pp

We discuss several aspects of the relation between asymptotically AdS and asymptotically dS spacetimes including: the continuation between these types of spaces, the global stability of asymptotically dS spaces and the structure of limits within this class, holographic renormalization, and the maximal mass conjecture of Balasubramanian-deBoer-Minic., Comment: 22pp, minor changes, references added

We discuss classical gravitational aspects of the AdS/CFT correspondence, with the aim of obtaining a rigorous (mathematical) understanding of the semi-classical limit of the gravitational partition function. The paper surveys recent progress in the area, together with a selection of new results and open problems., Comment: 23pp, for Proceedings of the Strasbourg meeting on AdS/CFT, Sept. 03 v.2: references added, and minor changes made, especially to last section

The main result of this paper is that the space of conformally compact Einstein metrics on a given manifold is a smooth, infinite dimensional Banach manifold, provided it is non-empty, generalizing earlier work of Graham-Lee and Biquard. We also prove full boundary regularity for such metrics in dimension 4, and a local existence and uniqueness theorem for such metrics with prescribed metric and stress-energy tensor at conformal infinity, again in dimension 4. This result also holds for Lorentzian-Einstein metrics with a positive cosmological constant., Comment: final version

This work proves certain general orbifold compactness results for spaces of Riemannian metrics, generalizing earlier results along these lines for Einstein metrics or metrics with bounded Ricci curvature. This is then applied to prove such compactness for spaces of Bach-flat (for example half-conformally flat) metrics on 4-manifolds, and related results for metrics which are critical points of other natural Riemannian functionals on the space of metrics., Comment: 28pp. Exposition improved, references added

This paper was withdrawn by the author due to an error in the proof of the main result; essentially the parameter R used in the proof may depend on the manifold (M, g), not just on dimension and pinching constant., Comment: This paper has been withdrawn

This work discusses the apriori possible asymptotic behavior to the future, for (vacuum) space-times which are geodesically complete to the future and which admit a foliation by compact constant mean curvature Cauchy surfaces., Comment: 16pp, to appear in the Classical and Quantum Gravity issue in Honor of Vince Moncrief. Updated, changes made to Prop. 4.5

We prove that many features of Thurston's Dehn surgery theory for hyperbolic 3-manifolds generalize to Einstein metrics in any dimension. In particular, this gives large, infinite families of new Einstein metrics on compact manifolds., Comment: 29pp. Original result (from v1) restored

This paper explores and ties together three themes. The first is to establish regularity of a metric tensor, on a manifold with boundary, on which there are given Ricci curvature bounds, on the manifold and its boundary, and a Lipschitz bound on the mean curvature of the boundary. The second is to establish geometric convergence of a (sub)sequence of manifolds with boundary with such geometrical bounds and also an upper bound on the diameter and a lower bound on injectivity and boundary injectivity radius, making use of the first part. The third theme involves the uniqueness and conditional stability of an inverse problem proposed by Gel'fand making essential use of the results of the first two parts., Comment: TeX reformatting of v1, now 62pp. (Thanks Adrian.)

We prove that generically (positive) Yamabe metrics are unique in their conformal class, and describe some sufficient conditions which imply that a Yamabe metric of locally maximal scalar curvature is an Einstein metric., Comment: 9pp. This is a complete rewritting of the previous version on the same topic, with new title. The reasoning for (2.14) in v1 is incorrect, and this estimate remains an open problem

Let (M, g) be an (n+1) dimensional space-time, with bounded curvature with respect to a bounded framing. If (M, g) is vacuum or satisfies a mild condition on the stress-energy tensor, then we show that (M, g) locally admits coordinate systems in which the Lorentz metric is well-controlled in the (space-time) Sobolev space L^{2,p}, for any finite p., Comment: 18pp

This paper surveys aspects of the convergence and degeneration of Riemannian metrics on a given manifold M - the Cheeger-Gromov theory - and extensions thereof to Ricci curvature in place of full curvature. This theory is then applied to study a collection of different issues in mathematical aapects of General Relativity., Comment: 23pp, for Proc. 2002 Cargese School on General Relativity

This paper analyses the convergence and degeneration of sequences of metrics on a 3-manifold, and relations of such with Thurston's geometrization conjecture. The sequences are minimizing sequences for a certain (optimal) scalar-curvature type functional and their degeneration is related to the sphere and torus decompositions of the 3-manifold under certain conditions., Comment: 44pp. To appear in Jour. Reine Angew. Math

A large class of vacuum space-times is constructed in dimension 4+1 from hyperboloidal initial data sets which are not small perturbations of empty space data. These space-times are future geodesically complete, smooth up to their future null infinity, and extend as vacuum space-times through their Cauchy horizon. Dimensional reduction gives non-vacuum space-times with the same properties in 3+1 dimensions., Comment: 10pp, exposition improved; final version

This paper considers the existence of conformally compact Einstein metrics on 4-manifolds. A reasonably complete understanding is obtained for the existence of such metrics with prescribed conformal infinity, when the conformal infinity is of positive scalar curvature. We find in particular that general solvability in this class depends on the topology of the filling manifold. The obstruction to solvability for arbitrary boundary values is also identified. While most of the paper concerns dimension 4, some general results on the structure of the space of such metrics hold in all dimensions., Comment: (finally) final version, to appear in GAFA

This paper studies several aspects of asymptotically hyperbolic Einstein metrics, mostly on 4-manifolds. We prove boundary regularity (at infinity) for such metrics and establish uniqueness under natural conditions on the boundary data. By examination of explicit black hole metrics, it is shown that neither uniqueness nor finiteness holds in general for AH Einstein metrics with a prescribed conformal infinity. We then describe natural conditions which are sufficient to ensure finiteness., Comment: 33pp, gap in one proof fixed, exposition improved. To appear in Advances in Math

This paper is a continuation of I, (same title), and is concerned with the existence, regularity and degeneration of metrics minimizing natural curvature functionals on the space of metrics on 3-manifolds. The functionals chosen are designed to be optimal w.r.t. the issue of geometrization of the underlying 3-manifold, in the sense of Thurston. Two of the main results are Theorems B and C, in comparison with Theorem A of I., Comment: 76 pages. to appear in GAFA

See comment above., Comment: Reworked and reorganized into new paper: see math.DG/0104171

This paper relates the boundary term in the Chern-Gauss-Bonnet formula on 4-manifolds M with the renormalized volume V, as defined in the AdS/CFT correspondence, for asymptotically hyperbolic Einstein metrics on M. In addition, we compute and discuss the differential or variation dV of V, or equivalently the variation of the L^2 norm of the Weyl curvature, on the space of such Einstein metrics., Comment: 15 pages, several corrections made. To appear in Math. Research Letters

We describe some relations between the long-time asymptotic behavior of the vacuum Einstein evolution equations and the geometrization of 3-manifolds. These relations are expressed in terms of evolution of CMC hypersurfaces in the vacuum space-time.Some results are also obtained on the singularity avoidance of CMC foliations. In addition, the paper describes a number of open problems relating these two areas., Comment: 36pp