Laplacian eigenvalues functionals and metric deformations on compact manifolds

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate critical points of the Laplacian's eigenvalues considered as functionals on the space of Riemmannian metrics or a conformal class of metrics on a compact manifold. We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for a metric to be a critical point of such a functional. We derive specific consequences concerning possible locally maximizing metrics. We also characterize critical metrics of the ratio of two consecutive eigenvalues.