Geometric Stability of the Schoen-Yau Zero Mass Theorem

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Sormani, Christina
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Sormani, Christina
author_facet Sormani, Christina
contents In 1979, Schoen and Yau proved their famous Positive Mass Theorem which is a combination of a comparison theorem: {\em a three dimensional asymptotically flat Riemannian manifold with nonnegative scalar curvature has nonnegative ADM mass}, and a rigidity theorem: {\em if such a manifold has zero ADM mass then it is isometric to Euclidean space}. Here we review results and open questions on the geometric stability of their zero mass rigidity theorem: {\em if such a manifold has almost zero mass, how close is its geometry to that of Euclidean space}? We review the geometry of these spaces, examples of sequences of such spaces with mass approaching zero, and a variety of geometric notions of convergence. Although there has been much progress, it is still an open question (even in dimension three): exactly which geometric notion of convergence works best to capture the geometric stability of this famous rigidity theorem.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_17599
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Geometric Stability of the Schoen-Yau Zero Mass Theorem
Sormani, Christina
Differential Geometry
Mathematical Physics
Metric Geometry
54E35, 83C99, 58Z05, 30L05
In 1979, Schoen and Yau proved their famous Positive Mass Theorem which is a combination of a comparison theorem: {\em a three dimensional asymptotically flat Riemannian manifold with nonnegative scalar curvature has nonnegative ADM mass}, and a rigidity theorem: {\em if such a manifold has zero ADM mass then it is isometric to Euclidean space}. Here we review results and open questions on the geometric stability of their zero mass rigidity theorem: {\em if such a manifold has almost zero mass, how close is its geometry to that of Euclidean space}? We review the geometry of these spaces, examples of sequences of such spaces with mass approaching zero, and a variety of geometric notions of convergence. Although there has been much progress, it is still an open question (even in dimension three): exactly which geometric notion of convergence works best to capture the geometric stability of this famous rigidity theorem.
title Geometric Stability of the Schoen-Yau Zero Mass Theorem
topic Differential Geometry
Mathematical Physics
Metric Geometry
54E35, 83C99, 58Z05, 30L05
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.17599