Spherical, Euclidean, and hyperbolic simplices can be characterized by the dihedral angles on their codimension-two faces. These characterizations analyze the Gram matrix, a matrix with entries given by cosines of dihedral angles. Hyperideal hyperbolic simplices are non-compact generalizations of hyperbolic simplices wherein the vertices lie outside hyperbolic space. We extend recent characterization results to include fully general hyperideal simplices. Our analysis utilizes the Gram matrix, however we use inversive distances instead of dihedral angles to accommodate fully general hyperideal simplices.For two-dimensional triangulations, an angle structure is an assignment of three face angles to each triangle. An angle structure permits a globally consistent scaling provided the faces can be simultaneously scaled so that any two contiguous faces assign the same length to their common edge. We show that a class of symmetric Euclidean angle structures permits globally consistent scalings. We develop a notion of virtual scaling to accommodate spherical and hyperbolic triangles of differing curvatures and show that a class of symmetric spherical and hyperbolic angle structures permit globally consistent virtual scalings.The double tetrahedron is a triangulation of the three-sphere obtained by gluing two congruent tetrahedra along their boundaries. The pentachoron is a triangulation of the three-sphere obtained from the boundary of the 4-simplex. As piecewise flat manifolds, the geometries of the double tetrahedron and pentachoron are determined by edge lengths that gives rise to a notion of a metric. We study notions of Einstein metrics on the double tetrahedron and pentachoron. Our analysis utilizes Regge's Einstein-Hilbert functional, a piecewise flat analogue of the Einstein-Hilbert (or total scalar curvature) functional on Riemannian manifolds.A notion of conformal structure on a two dimensional piecewise flat manifold is given by a set of edge constants wherein edge lengths are calculated from the edge constants and vertex based parameters. A conformal variation is a smooth one parameter family of the vertex parameters. The analysis of conformal variations often involves the study of degenerating triangles, where a face angle approaches zero. We show for a conformal variation that remains weighted Delaunay, if the conformal parameters are bounded then no triangle degenerations can occur.

Let (M,g) be a quasi-Sasaki manifold with Reeb vector field xi. Our goal is to understand the structure of M when g is an Einstein metric. Assuming that the S^1 action induced by xi is locally free or assuming a certain non-negativity condition on the transverse curvature, we prove some rigidity results on the structure of (M,g). Naturally associated to a quasi-Sasaki metric g is a transverse Kahler metric g^T. The transverse Kahler-Ricci flow of g^T is the normalized Ricci flow of the transverse metric. Exploiting the transverse Kahler geometry of (M,g), we can extend results in Kahler-Ricci flow to our transverse version. In particular, we show that a deep and beautiful theorem due to Perleman has its counterpart in the quasi-Sasaki setting. We also consider evolving a Sasaki metric g by Ricci flow. Unfortunately, if g(0) is Sasaki then g(t) is not Sasaki for t>0. However, in some instances g(t) is quasi-Sasaki. We examine this and give some qualitative results and examples in the special case that the initial metric is eta-Einstein.

This thesis studies Ricci solitons of cohomogeneity one and uniform Poincaré inequalities for differentials on Riemann surfaces. In the two summands case, which assumes that the isotropy representation of the principal orbit consists of two inequivalent Ad-invariant irreducible summands, complete steady and expanding Ricci solitons have been detected numerically by Buzano-Dancer-Gallaugher-Wang. This work provides a rigorous construction thereof. A Lyapunov function is introduced to prove that the Ricci soliton metrics lie in a bounded region of an associated phase space. This also gives an alternative construction of non-compact Einstein metrics of non-positive scalar curvature due to Böhm. It is explained how the asymptotics of the Ricci flat trajectories induce Böhm's Einstein metrics on spheres and other low dimensional spaces. A numerical study suggests that all other Einstein metrics of positive scalar curvature which are induced by the generalised Hopf fibrations occur in an entirely non-linear regime of the Einstein equations. Extending the theory of cohomogeneity one steady and expanding Ricci solitons, an estimate which allows to prescribe the growth rate of the soliton potential at any given time is shown. As an application, continuous families of Ricci solitons on complex line bundles over products of Fano Kähler Einstein manifolds are constructed. This generalises work of Appleton and Stolarski. The method also applies to the Lü-Page-Pope set-up and allows to cover an optimal parameter range in the two summands case. The Ricci soliton equation on manifolds foliated by torus bundles over products of Fano Kähler Einstein manifolds is discussed. A rigidity theorem is obtained and a preserved curvature condition is discovered. The cohomogeneity one initial value problem is solved for m-quasi-Einstein metrics and complete metrics are described. L^p-Poincaré inequalities for k-differentials on closed Riemann surfaces are shown. The estimates are uniform in the sense that the Poincaré constant only depends on p ≥1, k ≥ 2 and the genus γ ≥ 2 of the surface but not on its complex structure. Examples show that the analogous estimate for 1-differentials cannot be uniform. This part is based on joint work with Melanie Rupflin.

This thesis studies the construction of noncompact Einstein manifolds of cohomogeneity one on some vector bundles. Cohomogeneity one vector bundle whose isotropy representation of the principal orbit G/K has two inequivalent irreducible summands has been studied in [Böh99][Win17]. However, the method applied does not cover all cases. This thesis provides an alternative construction with a weaker assumption of G/K admits at least one invariant Einstein metric. Some new Einstein metrics of Taub-NUT type are also constructed. This thesis also provides construction of cohomogeneity one Einstein metrics for cases where G/K is a Wallach space. Specifically, two continuous families of complete smooth Einstein metrics are constructed on vector bundles over CP2, HP2 and OP2 with respective principal orbits the Wallach spaces SU(3)/T2, Sp(3)/(Sp(1)Sp(1)Sp(1)) and F4/Spin(8). The first family is a 1-parameter family of Ricci-flat metrics. All the Ricci- flat metrics constructed have asymptotically conical limits given by the metric cone over a suitable multiple of the normal Einstein metric. All the Ricci-flat metrics constructed have generic holonomy except that the complete metric with G2 holonomy discovered in [BS89][GPP90] lies in the interior of the 1-parameter family on manifold in the first case. The second family is a 2-parameter family of Poincaré–Einstein metrics. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)