Riemannian Metrics on Locally Projectively Flat Manifolds

Abstract

The expression (-1/u) times the Hessian of u transforms as a symmetric (0,2) tensor under projective coordinate transformations, so long as u transforms as a section of a certain line bundle. On a locally projectively flat manifold M, the section u can be regarded as a metric potential analogous to the local potential in Kahler geometry. If M is compact and u is a negative section of the dual of the tautological bundle whose Hessian is positive definite, then M is projectively equivalent to a quotient of a bounded convex domain in R^n. The same is true if M has a boundary on which u=0. This theorem is analogous to a result of Schoen and Yau in locally conformally flat geometry. The proof uses affine differential geometry techniques developed by Cheng and Yau.