Prescribing integral curvature equation

Abstract

In this paper we define new curvature functions on $\mathbb{S}^n$ via integral operators. For certain even orders, these curvature functions are equivalent to the classic curvature functions defined via differential operators, but not for all even orders. Existence result for antipodally symmetric prescribed curvature functions on $\mathbb{S}^n$ is obtained. As a corollary, the existence of a conformal metric for an antipodally symmetric prescribed $Q-$curvature functions on $\mathbb{S}^3$ is proved. Curvature functions on general compact manifolds as well as the conformal covariance property for the corresponding integral operator are also addressed.