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In this paper, we classify n-dimensional ($n\ge 4$) complete Bach-flat gradient shrinking Ricci solitons. More precisely, we prove that any 4-dimensional Bach-flat gradient shrinking Ricci soliton is either Einstein, or locally conformally flat hence a finite quotient of the Gaussian shrinking soliton R^4 or the round cylinder S^3 x R. More generally, for $n\ge 5$, a Bach-flat gradient shrinking Ricci soliton is either Einstein, or a finite quotient of the Gaussian shrinking soliton $R^n$ or the product $N^{n-1}xR$, where $N^{n-1}$ is Einstein.

In this paper we provide a detailed proof of the second variation formula, essentially due to Richard Hamilton, Tom Ilmanen and the first author, for Perelman’s ν-entropy. In particular, we correct an error in the stability operator stated in Theorem 6.3 of [2]. Moreover, we obtain a necessary condition for linearly stable shrinkers in terms of the least eigenvalue and its multiplicity of certain Lichnerowicz type operator associated to the second variation.

Following the work of Hamilton, Ilmanen and the first author [4], in this paper we study the linear stability of Perelman's ν-entropy on Einstein manifolds with positive Ricci curvature. We observe the equivalence between the linear stability (also called ν-stability in this paper) restricted to the transversal traceless symmetric 2-tensors and the stability of Einstein manifolds with respect to the Hilbert action. As a main application, we give a full classification of linear stability of the ν-entropy on symmetric spaces of compact type. In particular, we exhibit many more ν-stable and ν-unstable examples than previously known and also the first ν-stable examples, other than the standard spheres, whose second variations are negative definite.

In this paper, we classify n-dimensional (n ≥ 3) complete non-compact locally conformally flat gradient steady solitons. In particular, we prove that a complete noncompact nonflat locally conformally flat gradient steady Ricci soliton is, up to scaling, the Bryant soliton.