Skip to main content
Log in

Existence of Conformal Metrics on Spheres with Prescribed Paneitz Curvature

  • Published:
manuscripta mathematica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

In this paper we study the problem of prescribing a fourth order conformal invariant (the Paneitz curvature) on the n-sphere, with n ≥ 5. Using tools from the theory of critical points at infinity, we provide some topological conditions on the level sets of a given positive function under which we prove the existence of a metric, conformally equivalent to the standard metric, with prescribed Paneitz curvature.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Aubin, T.: Equations différentielles non linéaires et problème de Yamabe concernant la courbure scalaire. J. Math. Pure Appl. 55, 269–296 (1976)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. Aubin, T.: Some nonlinear problems in differential geometry. Springer-Verlag, New York 1997

  3. Aubin, T., Hebey, E.: Courbure scalaire prescrite. Bull. Sci. Math. 115, 125–131 (1991)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  4. Aubin, T., Bahri, A.: Methodes de topologie algebrique pour le problème de la courbure scalaire prescrite. J. Math. Pures et Appl. 76, 525–549 (1997)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. Aubin, T., Bahri, A.: Une hypothèse topologique pour le problème de la courbure scalaire prescrite. J. Math. Pures et Appl. 76, 843–850 (1997)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Bahri, A.: Critical points at infinity in some variational problems. Pitman Res. Notes Math, Ser 182, Longman Sci. Tech. Harlow 1989

  7. Bahri, A.: An invariant for Yamabe-type flows with applications to scalar curvature problems in high dimension. A celebration of J. F. Nash Jr., Duke Math. J. 81, 323–466 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bahri, A., Coron, J. M.: On a nonlinear elliptic equation involving the critical Sobolev exponent: The effect of topology of the domain. Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 41, 255–294 (1988)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bahri, A., Coron, J. M.: The scalar curvature problem on the standard three dimensional sphere. J. Funct. Anal. 95, 106–172 (1991)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Bahri, A., Rabinowitz, P.: Periodic orbits of Hamiltonian systems of three body type. Ann. Inst. H. Poincaré Anal. Non linéaire 8, 561–649 (1991)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  11. Ben Ayed, M., Chen, Y., Chtioui, H., Hammami, M.: On the prescribed scalar curvature problem on 4-manifolds. Duke Math. J. 84, 633–677 (1996)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. Ben Ayed, El Mehdi, K.: The Paneitz curvature problem on lower dimensional spheres. Preprint (2003)

  13. Bianchi, G.: The scalar curvature equation on ℝn and S n . Adv. Differential Equations 1, 857–880 (1996)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. Branson, T. P.: Group representations arising from Lorentz conformal geometry. J. Funct. Anal. 74, 199–291 (1987)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  15. Branson, T. P., Chang, S. A., Yang, P. C.: Estimates and extremal problems for the log-determinant on 4-manifolds. Comm. Math. Phys. 149, 241–262 (1992)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. Brezis, H., Coron, J.M.: Convergence of solutions of H-systems or how to blow bubbles. Arch. Rational Mech. Anal. 89, 21–56 (1985)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. Chang, S. A., Gursky, M. J., Yang, P. C.: Regularity of a fourth order non linear PDE with critical exponent. Amer. J. Math. 121, 215–257 (1999)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  18. Chang, S. A., Gursky, M. J., Yang, P. C.: The scalar curvature equation on 2- and 3-sphere. Calc. Var. Partial Differential Equations 1, 205–229 (1993)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  19. Chang, K.C., Liu, J.: On Nirenberg’s problem. Int. J. Math. 4, 35–58 (1993)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  20. Chang, S. A., Qing, J., Yang, P. C.: On the Chern-Gauss-Bonnet integral for conformal metrics on ℝ4. Duke Math. J. 103, 523–544 (2000)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  21. Chang, S. A., Qing, J., Yang, P. C.: Compactification for a class of conformally flat 4-manifolds. Invent. Math. 142, 65–93 (2000)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  22. Chang, S. A., Yang, P. C.: On a fourth order curvature invariant. Spectral problems in Geometry and Arithmetic, Contemporary Math. 237, 9–28 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Chang, S. A., Yang, P. C.: Prescribing Gaussian curvature on S 2. Acta Math. 159, 215–259 (1987)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  24. Chang, S. A., Yang, P. C.: A perturbation result in prescribing scalar curvature on S n. Duke Math. J. 64, 27–69 (1991)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  25. Chen, W. X., Ding, W.: Scalar curvature on S 2. Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 303, 365–382 (1987)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  26. Djadli, Z., Hebey, E., Ledoux, M.: Paneitz-type operators and applications. Duke Math. J. 104, 129–169 (2000)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  27. Djadli, Z., Malchiodi, A., Ould Ahmedou, M.: Prescribing a fourth order conformal invariant on the standard sphere, Part I: a perturbation result. Commun. Contemp. Math. 4, 1-34 (2002). Part II: blow up analysis and applications. Annali della Scuola Normale Sup. di Pisa 5, 387–434 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Escobar, J., Schoen, R.: Conformal metrics with prescribed scalar curvature. Invent. Math. 86, 243–254 (1986)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  29. Felli, V.: Existence of conformal metrics on S n with prescribed fourth-order invariant. Adv. Differential Equations 7, 47–76 (2002)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  30. Han, Z. C.: Prescribing Gaussian curvature on S n. Duke Math. J. 61, 679–703 (1990)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  31. Kazdan, J., Warner, F.: Existence and conformal deformation of metrics with prescribed Gaussian and scalar curvature. Ann. Math. 101, 317–331 (1975)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  32. Li, Y.Y.: Prescribing scalar curvature on S n and related topics, Part I. Journal of Differential Equations, 120, 319-410 (1995); Part II, Existence and compactness, Communications in Pure and Applied Mathematics, 49, 437–477 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Lin, C. S.: A classification of solutions of a conformally invariant fourth order equation in ℝn. Commentari Mathematici Helvetici 73, 206–231 (1998)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  34. Lions, P.L.: The concentration compactness principle in the calculus of variations. The limit case. Rev. Mat. Iberoamericana 1, I: 165–201; II: 45–121 (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Paneitz, S.: A quartic conformally covariant differential operator for arbitrary pseudo-Riemannian manifolds. Preprint

  36. Schoen, R.: Variational theory for the total scalar curvature functional for Riemannian metrics and related topics. In: Topics in Calculus of Variations. Lecture Notes in Mathematics 1365, (1984), 120–154 Springer-Verlag 1989

  37. Schoen, R., Zhang, D.: Prescribing scalar curvature on the n-sphere. Calc. Var. Partial Differential Equations 4, 1–25 (1996)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  38. Struwe, M.: A global compactness result for elliptic boundary value problems involving nonlinearities. Math. Z. 187, 511–517 (1984)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  39. Wei, J., Xu, X.: On conformal deformations of metrics on S n. J. Funct. Anal. 157, 292–325 (1998)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed Ben Ayed.

Additional information

Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 35J60, 53C21, 58J05

Send offprint requests to: Khalil El Mehdi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ben Ayed, M., El Mehdi, K. Existence of Conformal Metrics on Spheres with Prescribed Paneitz Curvature. manuscripta math. 114, 211–228 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00229-004-0463-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00229-004-0463-z

Keywords

Navigation