Abstract
We formulate and prove a positive mass theorem for n-dimensional spin manifolds whose metrics have only the Sobolev regularity \({C^0 \cap W_{\rm loc}^{1,n}}\). At this level of regularity, the curvature of the metric is defined in the distributional sense only, and we propose here a (generalized) notion of ADM mass for such a metric. Our main theorem establishes that if the manifold is asymptotically flat and has non-negative scalar curvature distribution, then its (generalized) ADM mass is well-defined and non-negative, and vanishes only if the manifold is isometric to Euclidian space. Prior applications of Witten’s spinor method by Lee and Parker and by Bartnik required the much stronger regularity \({W_{\rm loc}^{2,p}}\) with p > n. Our proof is a generalization of Witten’s arguments, in which we must treat the Dirac operator and its associated Lichnerowicz-Weitzenböck identity in the distributional sense and cope with certain averages of first-order derivatives of the metric over annuli that approach infinity. Finally, we observe that our arguments are not specific to scalar curvature and also allow us to establish a “universal” positive mass theorem.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arnowitt A., Deser S., Misner C.W.: Coordinate invariance and energy expressions in general relativity. Phys. Rev. 122, 997–1006 (1961)
Bartnik R.: The mass of an asymptotically flat manifold. Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 39, 661–693 (1986)
Bartnik R., Chruściel P.: Boundary value problems for Dirac-type equations. J. Reine Angew. Math. 579, 13–73 (2005)
Bray H.: Proof of the Riemannian Penrose inequality using the positive mass theorem. J. Differ. Geom. 59, 177–267 (2001)
Geroch R.P., Traschen J.: Strings and other distributional sources in general relativity. Phys. Rev. D 36, 1017–1031 (1987)
Grant, J.D.E., Tassotti, N.: A positive mass theorem for low-regularity metrics. arXiv:1205.1302
Herzlich, M.: Universal positive mass theorems. arXiv:1401.6009
Homma Y.: Bochner-Weitzenbock formulas and curvature actions on Riemannian manifolds. Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 358, 87–114 (2005)
Lawson, H.B., Michelsohn, M.L.: Spin geometry. Princeton Math. Series, vol. 38. Princeton Univ. Press, New Jersey (1989)
Lee D.A.: A positive mass theorem for Lipschitz metrics with small singular sets. Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 141, 3997–4004 (2013)
Lee, D.A., Sormani, C.: Stability of the positive mass theorem for rotationally symmetric Riemannian manifolds. J. Reine Angewandte Math (Crelle’s Journal) (686) (2014)
Lee D.A., Sormani C.: Near-equality of the Penrose inequality for rotationally symmetric Riemannian manifolds. Ann. Henri Poincaré 13, 1537–1556 (2012)
LeFloch, P.G.: Weakly regular Einstein spacetimes (in preparation)
LeFloch P.G., Mardare C.: Definition and weak stability of spacetimes with distributional curvature. Portugal Math. 64, 535–573 (2007)
LeFloch P.G., Rendall A.D.: A global foliation of Einstein–Euler spacetimes with Gowdy-symmetry on T 3. Arch. Rational Mech. Anal. 201, 841–870 (2011)
LeFloch, P.G., Sormani, C.: The nonlinear stability of rotationally symmetric spaces with low regularity. arXiv:1401.6192
LeFloch P.G., Stewart J.M.: The characteristic initial value problem for plane–symmetric spacetimes with weak regularity. Class. Quantum Grav. 28, 145019–145035 (2011)
Lohkamp, J.: The higher dimensional positive mass theorem. arXiv:math/0608795
McFeron D., Székelyhidi G.: On the positive mass theorem for manifolds with corners. Commun. Math. Phys. 313, 425–443 (2012)
Miao P.: Positive mass theorem on manifolds admitting corners along a hypersurface. Adv. Theor. Math. Phys. 6, 1163–1182 (2002)
Parker T., Taubes C.H.: On Witten’s proof of the positive energy theorem. Commun. Math. Phys. 84, 223–238 (1982)
Schoen R.: Variational theory for the total scalar curvature functional for Riemannian metrics and related topics. Lecture Notes Math. 1365, 120–154 (1989)
Schoen R., Yau S.-T.: On the proof of the positive mass conjecture in general relativity. Commun. Math. Phys. 65, 45–76 (1979)
Schwartz, L.: Théorie des distributions, vol. I. Hermann et Cie Editors, Paris (1950–1951)
Semmelmann U., Weingart G.: The Weitzenböck machine. Compositio Math. 146, 507–540 (2010)
Shi Y., Tam L.-T.: Positive mass theorem and the boundary behaviors of compact manifolds with non-negative scalar curvature. J. Differ. Geom. 62, 79–125 (2002)
Wald R.M.: General relativity. University of Chicago Press, Chicago (1984)
Witten E.: A new proof of the positive energy theorem. Commun. Math. Phys. 80, 381–402 (1981)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by P. T. Chruściel
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lee, D.A., LeFloch, P.G. The Positive Mass Theorem for Manifolds with Distributional Curvature. Commun. Math. Phys. 339, 99–120 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00220-015-2414-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00220-015-2414-9