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We utilize a condition for algebraic curvature operators called surgery stability as suggested by the work of Hoelzel to investigate the space of riemannian metrics over closed manifolds satisfying these conditions. Our main result is a parametrized Gromov–Lawson construction with not necessarily trivial normal bundles and shows that the homotopy type of this space of metrics is invariant under surgeries of a suitable codimension. This is a generalization of a well-known theorem by Chernysh and Walsh for metrics of positive scalar curvature. As an application of our method, we show that the space of metrics of positive scalar curvature on quaternionic projective spaces are homotopy equivalent to that on spheres.

Related project(s):
15Spaces and Moduli Spaces of Riemannian Metrics with Curvature Bounds on compact and non-compact Manifolds

In this paper we study spaces of Riemannian metrics with lower bounds on intermedi- ate curvatures. We show that the spaces of metrics of positive p-curvature and k-positive Ricci curvature on a given high-dimensional Spin-manifold have many non-trivial homotopy groups provided that the manifold admits such a metric.

Related project(s):
15Spaces and Moduli Spaces of Riemannian Metrics with Curvature Bounds on compact and non-compact Manifolds52Spaces and Moduli Spaces of Riemannian Metrics with Curvature Bounds on compact and non-compact Manifolds II

We investigate regularization of riemannian metrics by mollification. Assuming both-sided bounds on the Ricci tensor and a lower injectivity radius bound we obtain a uniform estimate on the change of the sectional curvature. Actually, our result holds for any metric with a uniform bound on the $W^{2,p}$-harmonic radius.

Related project(s):
15Spaces and Moduli Spaces of Riemannian Metrics with Curvature Bounds on compact and non-compact Manifolds