Differential Equations in Complex Riemannian Geometry

The research project focuses on several open questions in complex geometry and geometric flows in relation to geometry and physics. The deep understanding of these problems will help make fundamental progress in the study of analytic and geometric singularities arising from differential equations in geometry and physics. The project also aims to bring in research and teaching innovation in mathematics from various disciplines and has an immediate beneficial effect on undergraduate and graduate students at Rutgers as well as in the regional mathematical community. The PI will continue to organize and participate in the integrated research/education programs and activities that will promote the education level of the nation. The PI will investigate canonical metrics of Einstein type on Kahler varieties with mild singularities. In particular, the PI will study the Riemannian geometric properties of such singular metrics and analytic moduli problems for Kahler-Einstein manifolds. The PI will continue to make progress in the analytic minimal model program with Ricci flow by studying both finite-time and long-time formation of singularities of the Kahler-Ricci flow on Kahler varieties. Such singularity formation should be understood through global and local metric uniformization equivalent to canonical geometric surgeries and birational transformations. The PI also aims to extend his work on the Nakai-Moishezon criterion for complex Hessian equations in both stable and unstable cases, building connections between conditions of algebraic positivity and nonlinear PDEs. The PI will employ theories and techniques from geometric L2-theory, nonlinear PDEs, Cheeger-Colding theory and Perelman's work on Ricci flow. The outcome of the research will develop new tools and give profound insights and understanding of topological, geometric and algebraic structures of complex spaces. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.