Covariant derivatives of eigenfunctions along parallel tensors over space forms and a conjecture motivated by the vertex algebraic structure

Abstract

We study the covariant derivatives of an eigenfunction for the Laplace-Beltrami operator on a complete, connected Riemannian manifold with nonzero constant sectional curvature. We show that along every parallel tensor, the covariant derivative is a scalar multiple of the eigenfunction. We also show that the scalar is a polynomial depending on the eigenvalue and prove some properties. A conjecture motivated by the study of vertex algebraic structure on space forms is also announced, suggesting the existence of interesting structures in these polynomials that awaits further exploration.