In this paper, we derive some local a priori estimates for the Ricci flow. This gives rise to some strong uniqueness theorems. As a corollary, let g(t) be a smooth complete solution to the Ricci flow on R3, with the canonical Euclidean metric E as initial data, then g(t) is trivial, i.e. g(t) ≡ E.

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In [W], Witten considered the indices of elliptic operators on the free loop space CM of a spin manifold M. In particular the index of the formal signature operator on the loop space is exactly the elliptic genus of Landweber-Stong-Ochanine [LS],[O]. Motivated by physics, Witten made the conjectures about the rigidity of these elliptic operators which say that their 51-equivariant indices on M are independent of g G Sl. See [L] for the early history of the subject.