A \L{}ojasiewicz inequality for ALE metrics

Abstract

We introduce a new functional inspired by Perelman's $\lambda$-functional adapted to the asymptotically locally Euclidean (ALE) setting and denoted $\lambda_{\operatorname{ALE}}$. Its expression includes a boundary term which turns out to be the ADM-mass. We prove that $\lambda_{\operatorname{ALE}}$ is defined and analytic on convenient neighborhoods of Ricci-flat ALE metrics and we show that it is monotonic along the Ricci flow. This for example lets us establish that small perturbations of integrable and stable Ricci-flat ALE metrics with nonnegative scalar curvature have nonnegative mass. We then introduce a general scheme of proof for a Lojasiewicz-Simon inequality on non-compact manifolds and prove that it applies to $\lambda_{\operatorname{ALE}}$ around Ricci-flat metrics. We moreover obtain an optimal weighted Lojasiewicz exponent for metrics with integrable Ricci-flat deformations.