Uniqueness of Weak Solutions for the Normalised Ricci Flow in Two Dimensions

Abstract

We show uniqueness of classical solutions of the normalised two-dimensional Hamilton-Ricci flow on closed, smooth manifolds for smooth data among solutions satisfying (essentially) only a uniform bound for the Liouville energy and a natural space-time $L^2$-bound for the time derivative of the solution. The result is surprising when compared with results for the harmonic map heat flow, where non-uniqueness through reverse bubbling may occur.