Estimating the trace-free Ricci tensor in Ricci flow

Abstract

An important and natural question in the analysis of Ricci flow singularity formation in dimensions four and above is as follows: What are the weakest conditions that provide control of the norm of the Riemann curvature tensor? In this short note, we show that on a compact manifold, the trace-free Ricci tensor is controlled in a precise fashion by the other components of the irreducible decomposition of the curvature tensor, without any hypotheses on the initial data.