Constant Scalar Curvature Metrics on Connected Sums

Dominic Joyce

Published 2001-08-03, updated 2002-03-12Version 2

Let (M,g) be a compact Riemannian manifold with dimension n > 2. The Yamabe problem is to find a metric with constant scalar curvature in the conformal class of g, by minimizing the total scalar curvature. The proof was completed in 1984. Suppose (M',g') and (M'',g'') are compact Riemannian n-manifolds with constant scalar curvature. We form the connected sum M' # M'' of M' and M'' by removing small balls from M' and M'' and joining the S^{n-1} boundaries together. In this paper we use analysis to construct metrics with constant scalar curvature on M' # M''. Our description is quite explicit, in contrast to the general Yamabe case when one knows little about what the metric looks like. There are 9 cases, depending on the signs of the scalar curvature on M' and M'' (positive, negative, or zero). We show that the constant scalar curvature metrics either develop small "necks" separating M' and M'', or one of M', M'' is crushed small by the conformal factor. When both have positive scalar curvature, we construct three different metrics with scalar curvature 1 in the same conformal class.