Geometric flows and applications

Abstract

I present some applications of geometric flows in string theory and gravity. In some circumstances time evolution in string theory can be approximately identified with Ricci-flow parametric evolution of spatial sections. In four dimensions, homogeneous, self-dual, gravitational instantons of general relativity evolve in time exactly as geometric flows of homogeneous three-manifolds. For non-relativistic versions of gravity, this property persists in any dimension, under the assumption of detailed-balance condition.