In this paper, we first obtain the sub-Laplacian comparison theorem in a complete noncompact pseudohermitian manifold of vanishing torsion (i.e. Sasakian manifold). Secondly, we derive the sub-gradient estimate for positive pseudoharmonic functions in a complete noncompact pseudohermitian manifold which satisfies the CR sub-Laplacian comparison property. It is served as the CR analogue of Yauís gradient estimate. As a consequence, we have the natural CR analogue of Liouville-type theorems in a complete noncompact Sasakian manifold of nonnegative pseudohermitian Ricci curvature tensors.

We give a new proof of a classical uniqueness theorem of Alexandrov [4] using the weak uniqueness continuation theorem of BersNirenberg [8]. We prove a version of this theorem with the minimal regularity assumption: the spherical Hessians of the corresponding convex bodies as Radon measures are nonsingular.

The Wess-Zumino-Witten term was first introduced in the low energy σ-model which describes pions, the Goldstone bosons for the broken flavor symmetry in quantum chromodynamics. We introduce a new definition of this term in arbitrary gravitational backgrounds. It matches several features of the fundamental gauge theory, including the presence of fermionic states and the anomaly of the flavor symmetry. To achieve this matching, we use a certain generalized differential cohomology theory. We also prove a formula for the determinant line bundle of special families of Dirac operators on 4-manifolds in terms of this cohomology theory. One consequence is that there are no global anomalies in the Standard Model (in arbitrary gravitational backgrounds).

We construct many self-similar and translating solitons for Lagrangian mean curvature flow, including self-expanders and translating solitons with arbitrarily small oscillation on the Lagrangian angle. Our translating solitons play the same role as cigar solitons in Ricci flow, and are important in studying the regularity of Lagrangian mean curvature flow. Given two transverse Lagrangian planes Rn in Cn with sum of characteristic angles less than π, we show there exists a Lagrangian self-expander asymptotic to this pair of planes. The Maslov class of these self-expanders is zero. Thus they can serve as local models for surgeries on Lagrangian mean curvature flow. Families of self-shrinkers and self-expanders with different topologies are also constructed. This paper generalizes the work of Anciaux [1], Joyce [12], Lawlor [15], and Lee and Wang [18, 19].

There have been many attempts to define quasilocal energy/mass for a spacelike 2-surface in a spacetime by the Hamilton–Jacobi method. The main difficulty in this approach is the subtle choice of the background configuration to be subtracted from the physical Hamiltonian. Quasilocal mass should be positive for general surfaces, but on the other hand should be zero for surfaces in the flat spacetime. In this paper, we survey the work in a series of papers [6, 25–27] in which a new notion of quasilocal mass/energy–momentum is proposed and investigated. In particular, the notion of energy observed by a 'quasilocal observer' will be discussed.