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On a closed connected Riemannian manifold with nonnegative Ricci curvature, harmonic one-forms are parallel under nonnegative Ricci curvature. Evaluation at one point injects their space into the cotangent space. The Hodge decomposition theorem identifies its dimension with the first Betti number, giving $b_1(M)\le \dim M$. For example, a genus-two closed orientable surface times a circle has dimension three and first Betti number five, so no Riemannian metric on that product has nonnegative Ricci curvature.

For a complete connected $n$-dimensional Riemannian manifold with nonnegative Ricci curvature, the displayed ratio is nonincreasing, tends to one at zero, and is at most one. In particular $\mathrm{Vol}B(p,r)\le {\omega }_n{r}^n$. In geodesic polar coordinates, the radial Jacobi field determinant is at most the Euclidean density $r^{n-1}$ until the cut time. The trace of the radial Riccati equation for distance spheres, with Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, proves this comparison. Equality for every radius forces the Euclidean polar metric and absence of a cut locus.

For a complete connected $n$-dimensional Riemannian manifold with $\mathrm{Ric}\ge (n-1)kg$, $k>0$, put $D=\pi /\sqrt{k}$ andHere ${\omega }_{n-1}$ is the area of the unit $(n-1)$-sphere, and $v_k(r)$ is the Riemannian volume of a radius-$r$ ball in the round curvature-$k$ sphere. The Bishop-Gromov inequality asserts that $V_p(r)/v_k(r)$ is nonincreasing for $0<r<D$, tends to one at zero, and is at most one. In geodesic polar coordinates, the radial volume density before the cut time is at most $s_k(t{)}^{n-1}$. The bound uses trace Ricci curvature; with normalized Ricci curvature it reads $\overline{\mathrm{Ric}}\ge kg$.

On a closed Riemannian manifold, a Killing vector field $X$ satisfies ${\nabla }^{\ast }\nabla X={\mathrm{Ric}}^{♯}X$ for the nonnegative rough Laplacian. This follows by differentiating ${\nabla }_i{X}_j+{\nabla }_j{X}_i=0$, contracting and commuting covariant derivatives; the contraction also gives $\mathrm{div}X=0$. Taking the inner product with $X$ and using integration by parts gives the displayed identity. If Ricci curvature is nonpositive, the nonnegative left side must vanish, so $X$ is a parallel vector field. In particular every Killing vector field on a closed flat Riemannian manifold is a parallel vector field.

For a real one-form $\alpha$, the Hodge Laplacian differs from the rough Laplacian by the action of Ricci curvature: $(\mathrm{Ric}\cdot \alpha )(X)=\alpha ({\mathrm{Ric}}^{♯}X)$, where $g({\mathrm{Ric}}^{♯}X,Y)=\mathrm{Ric}(X,Y)$. Equivalently, with the nonnegative scalar Laplacian convention,

The graph $z=x^2+y^2$ in Euclidean three-space has the displayed induced Riemannian metric and positive Gaussian curvature. It is smooth at its vertex; the polar-coordinate singularity is only a coordinate artifact. The metric dominates the Euclidean plane metric, so upward stability of Riemannian completeness proves completeness. It has infinite diameter. In dimension two Ricci curvature equals Gaussian curvature times the metric, so this is a counterexample to compactness under merely pointwise positive Ricci curvature. Its curvature tends to zero at infinity.

The product Riemannian metric of two round unit spheres has Ricci curvature equal to its metric, since the factor Ricci tensors equal their metrics and the product connection splits. Its directional Ricci curvatures are all one. A two-plane tangent to a single sphere has sectional curvature one, while a mixed plane has sectional curvature zero. This four-dimensional Einstein manifold therefore need not have constant sectional curvature.

The product Riemannian metric of the round unit two-sphere and a circle has Ricci curvature equal to $g_{S^2}$ on the sphere directions and zero on the circle direction. Its scalar curvature is constantly two, but no single scalar multiple of the whole metric equals that Ricci tensor. In two dimensions the identity $\mathrm{Ric}=\mathrm{Scal}g/2$ does make constant scalar curvature equivalent to an Einstein metric.

On a compact connected Riemannian manifold without boundary with nonnegative Ricci curvature, the Bochner formula for one-forms makes every harmonic one-form parallel. Evaluation at any point is then injective: a parallel form that is zero there stays zero along every path. Hence $\dim {\mathcal{H}}^1(M)\le \dim M$. Flat tori attain equality. Positive-definite Ricci curvature at even one point instead forces ${\mathcal{H}}^1=0$, because the Bochner integral makes its Ricci contraction vanish everywhere.

An Einstein manifold has Ricci curvature equal to a constant multiple of its metric. In the Riemannian setting, the round unit sphere has $\Lambda =n-1$. This condition is weaker than constant sectional curvature in higher dimensions. The definition can also be applied to pseudo-Riemannian metrics, but positivity is assumed in the completeness theorems discussed here.

For a compact connected Riemannian manifold with nonnegative Ricci curvature, its finitely generated fundamental group acts freely and properly discontinuously on the complete universal cover. The preceding polynomial growth of properly discontinuous isometry groups bound applies. The degree-one Hurewicz theorem identifies first integral homology with the abelianization of the fundamental group. If its free rank is $b_1(M)$, this group maps onto ${\mathbb{Z}}^{b_1(M)}$. Choosing lifts of a basis gives at least a constant times $m^{b_1(M)}$ distinct elements in a word ball of radius a constant times $m$. The upper bound of order $m^{\dim M}$ forces the displayed inequality.

On a closed Riemannian manifold with nonnegative Ricci curvature, integration of the Bochner-Weitzenbock formula for one-forms for a harmonic one-form givesBoth terms are nonnegative, so $\nabla \alpha =0$. Riemannian volume density makes the argument valid even without orientation.

This metric pulls back the round spherical metric by $(u,v)\mapsto (\cos u\cos v,\cos u\sin v,\sin u)$. It has unit Gaussian curvature and Ricci curvature equal to its metric, yet the meridian reaches a missing boundary in finite time. Every curve between $(0,0)$ and $(0,L)$ has length at least $|L|/\sqrt{2}$, so its diameter is infinite. It shows that the positive Ricci bound alone does not replace geodesic completeness in the Bonnet-Myers theorem.

Assume the trace Ricci curvature satisfies $\mathrm{Ric}\ge (n-1)kg$, with $k>0$. If points $p,q$ have Riemannian distance $D=\pi /\sqrt{k}$, the balls $B(p,r)$ and $B(q,D-r)$ are disjoint. Bishop volume comparison with a positive-curvature model bounds their volumes below by $\mathrm{Vol}(M)v_k(r)/v_k(D)$ and $\mathrm{Vol}(M)v_k(D-r)/v_k(D)$. Since $v_k(r)+v_k(D-r)=v_k(D)$, both inequalities must be equalities. Taking $r\downarrow 0$ gives $\mathrm{Vol}M=v_k(D)$, and spherical rigidity of maximal total volume yields the round sphere.

For a Riemannian manifold of dimension $n\ge 2$, the normalized directional Ricci curvature averages, rather than sums, the $n-1$ sectional curvatures through a unit vector. Thus the Bonnet-Myers theorem gives $\mathrm{diam}M\le \pi /\sqrt{k}$ from $\overline{\mathrm{Ric}}\ge kg$. With trace Ricci curvature the corresponding hypothesis is $\mathrm{Ric}\ge (n-1)kg$. The distinction changes positive constants but not the signs of Ricci curvature.

Use metric signature $(+---)$ and the curvature sign fixed by the stated Newtonian limit. In flat spacetime the source-free Maxwell equations are ${\partial }_a{F}^{ab}=0$ and ${\partial }_{[a}{F}_{bc]}=0$. The stress-energy tensor in mixed form is $T^a{}_b=F^{ac}{F}_{cb}+{\delta }_b^a{F}_{cd}{F}^{cd}/4$. Its divergence isContracting the cyclic Maxwell equation with $F^{ac}$ gives $F^{ac}{\partial }_a{F}_{cb}=-{\partial }_b(F_{cd}{F}^{cd})/4$. The first term also vanishes, proving $\boxed{{\partial }_a{T}^{ab}=0}$. The component $b=0$ expresses local electromagnetic energy conservation, and the spatial components express momentum conservation. Integrating converts them into the usual energy and momentum flux balances.

In curved spacetime the tensor equations areThey agree with the flat equations in coordinates of a local inertial frame at a point, where the connection vanishes, and covariance then extends them to arbitrary coordinates. Antisymmetry makes the homogeneous equation equivalent to $dF=0$. Metric compatibility permits the same contraction proof, now giving $\boxed{{\nabla }_a{T}^{ab}=0}$. In general,which need not vanish. Covariant local balance remains valid; ordinary coordinate components do not provide a universal conserved global energy-momentum vector in a curved geometry. Additional spacetime symmetries can furnish conserved currents. A locally inertial frame removes the connection at a point, not the curvature or the global obstruction.

The alternating array with fixed component ${ϵ}_{0123}=1$ is appropriate in oriented inertial special-relativistic coordinates, whose proper Lorentz transformations have determinant one. It is not itself a covariant tensor under general coordinate changes. For an oriented Lorentzian metric, replace it by the metric metric volume tensor ${\epsilon }_{abcd}=\sqrt{-\det g}[abcd]$. The genuine dual isThis is the Hodge star; the determinant factor, orientation and raising conventions are essential. Even in flat spacetime arbitrary curvilinear coordinates require the metric volume tensor, so the distinction is about coordinate covariance rather than curvature alone.

The isolated equation for $R_{00}$ singles out a coordinate component and cannot be a generally covariant law. Replacing it by a proportionality $R_{ab}\propto T_{ab}$ still fails: the contracted Bianchi identity gives ${\nabla }^a{R}_{ab}={\nabla }_{b}R/2$, whereas stress-energy conservation requires ${\nabla }^a{T}_{ab}=0$. Such a law would force $R$ constant and hence impose an unphysical restriction on a varying relativistic dust density. Missing units or a coupling constant in the proposed proportionality would not repair this structural problem.

The Einstein tensor $G_{ab}=R_{ab}-R{g}_{ab}/2$ is divergence-free. Thereforeis consistent with covariant stress-energy conservation in the source's curvature convention. Its trace gives $R=8\pi GT$ and hence $R_{ab}=-8\pi G(T_{ab}-T{g}_{ab}/2)$. For slowly moving relativistic dust with $V^a{V}_a=1$, $T_{00}\simeq \rho$, $T\simeq \rho$, $g_{00}\simeq 1$, so $R_{00}\simeq -4\pi G\rho$, exactly matching $-\Delta \varphi$ and Poisson's equation.

Finally, electromagnetic stress-energy is trace-free: $T^a{}_a=F^{ac}{F}_{ca}+F_{cd}{F}^{cd}=0$ by antisymmetry. The traced field equation then gives $\boxed{R=0}$ for a purely electromagnetic source. This does not say $R_{ab}=0$ or that spacetime is flat; its trace-free Ricci curvature can still be nonzero.

Use the Levi-Civita connection $\nabla$ of the Riemannian metric $g$ and fix the conventionThe Leibniz rule shows that this expression is linear over smooth functions in all three arguments: the differentiated coefficient terms in the first two derivatives cancel those in the bracket term. Thus $R$ is a section of ${\Lambda }^2{T}^{\ast }M\otimes \mathrm{End}(TM)$, the Riemann curvature tensor, and $R_4$ is a covariant tensor field. This convention gives positive sectional curvature on the round sphere.

Its algebraic symmetries areThe first identity follows immediately from the definition. For the second, apply $XY-YX-[X,Y]$ to $g(Z,W)$ and use compatibility of the Levi-Civita connection with the Riemannian metric. The left side is zero and the differentiated terms combine toFor the first Bianchi identity, use normal coordinates at a point $p$, so the Christoffel symbols vanish there. Torsion-freeness gives ${\Gamma }_{ij}^{\ell }={\Gamma }_{ji}^{\ell }$, andThe cyclic sum over $i,j,k$ cancels term by term. Since this is a tensor identity, it holds for arbitrary tangent vectors everywhere.

To prove pair interchange rather than assume it, abbreviate $R_4(a,b,c,d)$ to $R_{abcd}$ and put $A=R_{abcd}$, $B=R_{cdab}$. The first Bianchi identity and the two antisymmetries giveThe first Bianchi identity applied to $(d,b,a)$ with final argument $c$ gives $R_{dbca}+R_{adcb}=R_{badc}=A$. Hence $A=2B-A$, proving $A=B$.

There is also the differential second Bianchi identity,For its proof take commuting coordinate fields, normal at $p$. The Jacobi identity for operator commutators says $[{\nabla }_X,[{\nabla }_Y,{\nabla }_Z]]+\text{cyclic}=0$. On these commuting fields, $[{\nabla }_Y,{\nabla }_Z]=R(Y,Z)$; at $p$, the covariant derivatives of the coordinate arguments vanish. The commutator identity is therefore the displayed covariant derivative identity at $p$, and tensoriality establishes it everywhere.

For a two-dimensional plane $\sigma =\mathrm{span}\{X,Y\}\subset T_{p}M$, define the sectional curvature byThe denominator is the squared area of $X,Y$. Under an invertible change of plane basis, the alternating pairs in the numerator and the area in the denominator both acquire the square of the change-of-basis determinant. Thus the quotient depends only on $\sigma$. For an orthonormal basis of $\sigma$, it is simply $g(R(X,Y)Y,X)$.

The Ricci curvature is the tracewhere $(e_i)$ is any orthonormal basis of $T_{p}M$. This is independent of the basis because it is a trace. Applying the first Bianchi identity to $(e_i,X,Y)$ and pairing with $e_i$ proves that the summand difference for $\mathrm{Ric}(X,Y)-\mathrm{Ric}(Y,X)$ vanishes; the middle term $g(R(X,Y)e_i,e_i)$ is zero by the last-pair antisymmetry. Hence Ricci curvature is a symmetric bilinear form. For a unit vector $v=e_1$ extended to an orthonormal basis,For nonzero $X$, take $v=X/|X|$ and multiply the right side by $|X{|}^2$. This determines the entire Ricci curvature by the polarization identity:Finally, the scalar curvature is the metric trace of Ricci curvature. Taking its diagonal entries in an orthonormal basis and pairing the equal contributions from $(i,j)$ and $(j,i)$ yieldsIn particular, constant sectional curvature $K_0$ gives $\mathrm{Ric}=(n-1)K_{0}g$ and $\mathrm{Scal}=n(n-1)K_0$. In dimension one the traces are zero; there are no two-dimensional tangent planes and the sums are empty.

A Riemannian metric is a smooth positive-definite symmetric inner product $g_x$ on every tangent space. A Levi-Civita connection is a connection on the tangent bundle which is torsion-free, ${\nabla }_{X}Y-{\nabla }_{Y}X=[X,Y]$, and metric-compatible,Apply this identity with the cyclic triples $(X,Y,Z)$, $(Y,Z,X)$ and $(Z,X,Y)$, add the first two and subtract the third, and replace differences of covariant derivatives by Lie brackets. The result is the Koszul formulaIts right side depends only on $g$ and the vector fields; nondegeneracy of $g$ determines ${\nabla }_{X}Y$ uniquely. This proves uniqueness.

For existence, in a coordinate chart defineThis is linear over smooth functions in $X$ and obeys the Leibniz rule in $Y$. Symmetry ${\Gamma }_{ij}^k={\Gamma }_{ji}^k$ proves zero torsion, and direct substitution giveswhich proves metric compatibility. On chart overlaps the two resulting connections satisfy the same intrinsic Koszul identity and therefore agree by uniqueness. They glue globally. Thus the existence and uniqueness of the Levi-Civita connection holds on every Riemannian manifold.

Fix the curvature conventionFor coordinate vectors $e_i$, define the Riemann curvature tensor components by $R_{ij,kl}=g(R(e_i,e_j)e_l,e_k)$. In these indices the Ricci and scalar contractions areExplicitly, $R_{ij,kl}=g_{ka}{R}^a{}_{lij}$, whereThese expressions define Ricci curvature and scalar curvature without ambiguity about which indices are contracted. With this convention a round unit $m$-sphere has $\mathrm{Ric}=(m-1)g$ and $s=m(m-1)$.

If $\mathrm{Ric}=\lambda g$ with a constant real $\lambda$, tracing gives $\boxed{s=m\lambda }$, so every Einstein metric has constant scalar curvature. The converse is not valid in arbitrary dimension. On $S^2\times S^1$ with the product Riemannian metric of the unit round sphere and a circle, the connection splits between factors. The mixed curvatures and circle curvature vanish, while the sphere has curvature one. HenceA scalar multiple of the whole metric would require $\lambda =1$ on the sphere directions and $\lambda =0$ on the circle direction, which is impossible. This proves that constant scalar curvature does not imply an Einstein metric, and supplies a counterexample to the unrestricted requested equivalence.

In dimension two, the curvature tensor is determined by the Gaussian curvature $K$:There the valid equivalence isIn dimension one both curvature and scalar curvature vanish identically. Without a two-dimensional restriction or another added geometric hypothesis, the general converse cannot be proved.

For a connected complete $n$-dimensional Riemannian manifold, $n\ge 2$, the Bonnet-Myers theorem states thatThe fundamental group conclusion follows by applying the same diameter and compactness result to the complete universal cover: its covering fiber is closed and discrete in a compact space, hence finite.

There is an important Ricci curvature convention in the printed question. With the standard trace convention used in this wiki, the literal hypothesis $\mathrm{Ric}\ge kg$ yields instead $\mathrm{diam}M\le \pi \sqrt{(n-1)/k}$. The sphere constants in parts (b) and (c) require normalized Ricci curvature $\overline{\mathrm{Ric}}=\mathrm{Ric}/(n-1)\ge kg$, equivalently the stronger trace bound $\mathrm{Ric}\ge (n-1)kg$. We prove those conclusions with this intended normalization below and exhibit counterexamples to the literal trace interpretation. Thus no factor of $n-1$ is silently discarded.

Use the intended trace bound $\mathrm{Ric}\ge (n-1)kg$ and write $D=\pi /\sqrt{k}$. We state precisely the allowed Bishop volume comparison with a positive-curvature model. Setwhere ${\omega }_{n-1}$ is the area of the unit $(n-1)$-sphere. For $V_p(r)=\mathrm{Vol}B(p,r)$, the ratio $V_p(r)/v_k(r)$ is nonincreasing on $0<r<D$, tends to one at zero, and is at most one. Before the cut time, the radial volume density $J(r,\theta )$ in geodesic polar coordinates is at most $s_k(r{)}^{n-1}$.

By the Bonnet-Myers theorem, $\mathrm{diam}M\le D$. Therefore $V_p(D)=\mathrm{Vol}M$. If distance-$D$ endpoints exist, they do not affect this volume equality: the distance sphere is contained in the smooth image ${\exp }_p(D{S}_p^{n-1})$, which has zero $n$-dimensional Riemannian volume. Taking limits in the comparison ratio at $D$ is legitimate. The assumed equality of total volume gives $V_p(D)/v_k(D)=1$, so monotonicity forcesfor every $p$.

We now extract the equality geometry, rather than merely naming a rigidity theorem. On a small normal neighborhood of $p$, the continuous nonnegative difference $s_k(r{)}^{n-1}-J(r,\theta )$ has integral zero. It is therefore identically zero. Let $A(X)={\nabla }_X{\partial }_r$ on a distance sphere and $h=\mathrm{tr}A={\partial }_r\log J$. Equality of the density gives $h=(n-1)s_k^{\prime }/s_k$. The traced radial Riccati equation for distance spheres readsSince $s_k^{\prime \prime }=-k{s}_k$, substituting $h$ makes the sum of the following two nonnegative quantities zero:Equality in the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality for the eigenvalues of the self-adjoint operator $A$ forces $A=(s_k^{\prime }/s_k)I$. The angular metric $g_r$ in geodesic polar coordinates consequently satisfies ${\partial }_r{g}_r=2(s_k^{\prime }/s_k)g_r$. Smoothness at the center fixes its integration constant, since $r^{-2}{g}_r\to g_{S^{n-1}}$. Henceon the normal ball: the Riemannian metric is locally the round curvature-$k$ metric. As $p$ was arbitrary, $M$ has constant sectional curvature $k$.

The classification of complete positive constant-curvature manifolds now gives $M=S_k^n/\Gamma$ with $\Gamma$ a finite freely acting group of isometries. Covering degree gives $\mathrm{Vol}M=\mathrm{Vol}{S}_k^n/|\Gamma |$. Volume equality forces $|\Gamma |=1$, provingThis establishes spherical rigidity of maximal total volume under the correct normalization.

Under the literal trace bound, the assertion is false in dimension four. Take the Riemannian product $M=S^2(r)\times S^2(r)$ with $r^2=1/(\sqrt{6}k)$. Its Ricci curvature is $r^{-2}g=\sqrt{6}kg\ge kg$, andBut a mixed tangent two-plane has sectional curvature zero, whereas a factor plane has curvature $\sqrt{6}k$. Thus this manifold is not the round sphere despite having the literal hypotheses.