Repository logo
 

Deformations and gluing of asymptotically cylindrical manifolds with exceptional holonomy


Change log

Authors

Nordström, Johannes 

Abstract

In Berger's classification of Riemannian holonomy groups there are several infinite families and two exceptional cases: the groups Spin(7) and G_2. This thesis is mainly concerned with 7-dimensional manifolds with holonomy G_2. A metric with holonomy contained in G_2 can be defined in terms of a torsion-free G_2-structure, and a G_2-manifold is a 7-dimensional manifold equipped with such a structure.

There are two known constructions of compact manifolds with holonomy exactly G_2. Joyce found examples by resolving singularities of quotients of flat tori. Later Kovalev found different examples by gluing pairs of exponentially asymptotically cylindrical (EAC) G_2-manifolds (not necessarily with holonomy exactly G_2) whose cylinders match. The result of this gluing construction can be regarded as a generalised connected sum of the EAC components, and has a long approximately cylindrical neck region. We consider the deformation theory of EAC G_2-manifolds and show, generalising from the compact case, that there is a smooth moduli space of torsion-free EAC G_2-structures.

As an application we study the deformations of the gluing construction for compact G_2-manifolds, and find that the glued torsion-free G_2-structures form an open subset of the moduli space on the compact connected sum. For a fixed pair of matching EAC G_2-manifolds the gluing construction provides a path of torsion-free G_2-structures on the connected sum with increasing neck length. Intuitively this defines a boundary point for the moduli space on the connected sum, representing a way to `pull apart' the compact G_2-manifold into a pair of EAC components. We use the deformation theory to make this more precise.

We then consider the problem whether compact G_2-manifolds constructed by Joyce's method can be deformed to the result of a gluing construction. By proving a result for resolving singularities of EAC G_2-manifolds we show that some of Joyce's examples can be pulled apart in the above sense. Some of the EAC G_2-manifolds that arise this way satisfy a necessary and sufficient topological condition for having holonomy exactly G_2.

We prove also deformation results for EAC Spin(7)-manifolds, i.e. dimension 8 manifolds with holonomy contained in Spin(7). On such manifolds there is a smooth moduli space of torsion-free EAC Spin(7)-structures. Generalising a result of Wang for compact manifolds we show that for EAC G_2-manifolds and Spin(7)-manifolds the special holonomy metrics form an open subset of the set of Ricci-flat metrics.

Description

Date

Advisors

Keywords

differential geometry, special holonomy

Qualification

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Awarding Institution

University of Cambridge
Sponsorship
This work was supported by the EPSRC and the Gates Cambridge Trust.