{"paper":{"title":"A strong maximum principle for the Paneitz operator and a non-local flow for the $Q$-curvature","license":"http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/","headline":"","cross_cats":[],"primary_cat":"math.DG","authors_text":"Andrea Malchiodi, Matthew J. Gursky","submitted_at":"2014-01-14T15:16:08Z","abstract_excerpt":"In this paper we consider Riemannian manifolds $(M^n,g)$ of dimension $n \\geq 5$, with semi-positive $Q$-curvature and non-negative scalar curvature. Under these assumptions we prove $(i)$ the Paneitz operator satisfies a strong maximum principle; $(ii)$ the Paneitz operator is a positive operator; and $(iii)$ its Green's function is strictly positive. We then introduce a non-local flow whose stationary points are metrics of constant positive $Q$-curvature. Modifying the test function construction of Esposito-Robert, we show that it is possible to choose an initial conformal metric so that the"},"claims":{"count":0,"items":[],"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"source":{"id":"1401.3216","kind":"arxiv","version":5},"verdict":{"id":null,"model_set":{},"created_at":null,"strongest_claim":"","one_line_summary":"","pipeline_version":null,"weakest_assumption":"","pith_extraction_headline":""},"references":{"count":0,"sample":[],"resolved_work":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57","internal_anchors":0},"formal_canon":{"evidence_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"author_claims":{"count":0,"strong_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"builder_version":"pith-number-builder-2026-05-17-v1"}