Monotonicity formulas for static metrics with non-zero cosmological constant

Abstract

In this paper we adopt the approach presented in Agostiniani and Mazzieri (J Math Pures Appl 104:561–586, 2015; Commun Math Phys 355:261–301, 2017) to study non-singular vacuum static space-times with non-zero cosmological constant. We introduce new integral quantities, and under suitable assumptions we prove their monotonicity along the level set flow of the static potential. We then show how to use these properties to derive a number of sharp geometric and analytic inequalities, whose equality case can be used to characterize the rotational symmetry of the underlying static solutions. As a consequence, we are able to prove some new uniqueness statements for the de Sitter and the anti-de Sitter metrics. In particular, we show that the de Sitter solution has the least possible surface gravity among three-dimensional static metrics with connected boundary and positive cosmological constant.