We develop deformation theory for abelian invariant complex structures on a nilmanifold, and prove that in this case the invariance property is preserved by the Kuranishi process. A purely algebraic condition characterizes the deformations leading again to abelian structures, and we prove that such deformations are unobstructed. Various examples illustrate the resulting theory, and the behavior possible in three complex dimensions.

Motivated by new explicit positive Ricci curvature metrics on the four-sphere which are also Einstein-Weyl, we show that the dimension of the Einstein-Weyl moduli near certain Einstein metrics is bounded by the rank of the isometry group and that any Weyl manifold can be embedded as a hypersurface with prescribed second fundamental form in some Einstein-Weyl space. Closed four-dimensional Einstein-Weyl manifolds are proved to be absolute minima of the L²-norm of the curvature of Weyl manifolds and a local version of the Lafontaine inequality is obtained. The above metrics on the four-sphere are shown to contain minimal hypersurfaces isometric to S¹S² whose second fundamental form has constant length.

Let φ∈C^0∩W_{1,2}(Σ,X) where Σ is a compact Riemann surface, X is a compact locally CAT(1) space, and W_{1,2}(Σ,X) is defined as in Korevaar-Schoen. We use the technique of harmonic replacement to prove that either there exists a harmonic map u: Σ → X homotopic to φ or there exists a nontrivial conformal harmonic map v: S^2 → X. To complete the argument, we prove compactness for energy minimizers and a removable singularity theorem for conformal harmonic maps.

In this paper we establish the short-time existence and uniqueness theorem for hyperbolic geometric flow, and prove the nonlinear stability of hyperbolic geometric flow defined on the Euclidean space with dimension larger than 4. Wave equations satisfied by the curvatures are derived. The relations of the hyperbolic geometric flow with the Einstein equations and the Ricci flow are discussed.

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