Abstract
LetM be a space-time whose local mass density is non-negative everywhere. Then we prove that the total mass ofM as viewed from spatial infinity (the ADM mass) must be positive unlessM is the flat Minkowski space-time. (So far we are making the reasonable assumption of the existence of a maximal spacelike hypersurface. We will treat this topic separately.) We can generalize our result to admit wormholes in the initial-data set. In fact, we show that the total mass associated with each asymptotic regime is non-negative with equality only if the space-time is flat.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arnowitt, R., Deser, S., Misner, C.: Phys. Rev.118, 1100 (1960b)
Geroch, R.: General Relativity. Proc. Symp. Pure Math.27, 401–414 (1975)
Brill, D., Deser, S.: Ann. Phys.50, 548 (1968)
Choquet-Bruhat, Y., Fischer, A., Marsden, J.: Maximal hypersurfaces and positivity of mass. Preprint (1978)
Choquet-Bruhat, Y., Marsden, J.: Solution of the local mass problem in general relativity. Commun. math. Phys.51, 283–296 (1976)
Jang, P. S.: J. Math. Phys.1, 141 (1976)
Leibovitz, C., Israel, W.: Phys. Rev.1 D, 3226 (1970)
Misner, C.: Astrophysics and general relativity, Chretien, M., Deser, S., Goldstein, J. (ed.). New York: Gordon and Breach 1971
Geroch, R.: J. Math. Phys.13, 956 (1972)
Chern, S.S.: Minimal submanifolds in a Riemannian manifold. University of Kansas (1968) (mimeographed lecture notes)
Finn, R.: On a class of conformal metrics, with application to differential geometry in the large. Comment. Math. Helv.40, 1–30 (1965)
Huber, A.: Vollständige konforme Metriken und isolierte Singularitäten subharmonischer Funktionen. Comment. Math. Helv.41, 105–136 (1966)
Huber, A.: On subharmonic functions and differential geometry in the large. Comment. Math. Helv.32, 13–72 (1957)
Huber, A.: On the isoperimetric inequality on surfaces of variable Gaussian curvature. Ann. Math.60, 237–247 (1954)
Alexander, H., Osserman, R.: Area bounds for various classes of surfaces. Am. J. Math.97 (1975)
Federer, H.: Geometric measure theory. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1969
Morrey, C. B.: Multiple integrals in the calculus of variations. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1966
Hörmander, L.: Linear partial differential operators. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1969
O'Murchadha, N., York, J. W.: Gravitational Energy. Phys. Rev. D10, 2345–2357 (1974)
Kazdan, J., Warner, F.: Prescribing curvatures. Proc. Symp. Pure Math.27, 309–319 (1975)
Schoen, R., Simon, L., Yau, S.-T.: Curvature estimates on minimal hypersurfaces. Acta Math.134, 275–288 (1975)
Additional information
Communicated by R. Geroch
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schoen, R., Yau, ST. On the proof of the positive mass conjecture in general relativity. Commun.Math. Phys. 65, 45–76 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01940959
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01940959