On the Hamilton-Lott conjecture in higher dimensions

Abstract

We study $n$-dimensional Ricci flows with non-negative Ricci curvature where the curvature is pointwise controlled by the scalar curvature and bounded by $C/t$, starting at metric cones which are Reifenberg outside the tip. We show that any such flow behaves like a self-similar solution up to an exponential error in time. As an application, we show that smooth $n$-dimensional complete non-compact Riemannian manifolds which are uniformly PIC1-pinched, with positive asymptotic volume ratio, are Euclidean. This confirms a higher dimensional version of a conjecture of Hamilton and Lott under the assumption of non-collapsing. It also yields a new and more direct proof of the original conjecture of Hamilton and Lott in three dimensions.

34 pages, introduction slightly extended and references updated