If a torsion-free hyperbolic group G has 1-dimensional boundary ∂∞G, then ∂∞G is a Menger curve or a Sierpinski carpet provided G does not split over a cyclic group. When ∂∞G is a Sierpinski carpet we show that G is a quasi-convex subgroup of a 3-dimensional hyperbolic Poincaré duality group. We also construct a "topologically rigid" hyperbolic group G: any homeomorphism of ∂∞G is induced by an element of G. © 2000 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS.

We show that the space of metrics of positive scalar curvature on any 3-manifold is either empty or contractible. Second, we show that the diffeomorphism group of every 3-dimensional spherical space form deformation retracts to its isometry group. This proves the Generalized Smale Conjecture. Our argument is independent of Hatcher's theorem in the $S^3$ case and in particular it gives a new proof of the $S^3$ case.

We complete the proof of the Generalized Smale Conjecture, apart from the case of $RP^3$, and give a new proof of Gabai's theorem for hyperbolic 3-manifolds. We use an approach based on Ricci flow through singularities, which applies uniformly to spherical space forms other than $S^3$ and $RP^3$ and hyperbolic manifolds, to prove that the moduli space of metrics of constant sectional curvature is contractible. As a corollary, for such a 3-manifold $X$, the inclusion $\text{Isom} (X,g)\to \text{Diff}(X)$ is a homotopy equivalence for any Riemannian metric $g$ of constant sectional curvature.

In a recent paper, Brendle showed the uniqueness of the Bryant soliton among 3-dimensional $\kappa$-solutions. In this paper, we present an alternative proof for this fact and show that compact $\kappa$-solutions are rotational symmetric. Our proof arose from independent work relating to our Strong Stability Theorem for singular Ricci flows.

We verify a conjecture of Perelman, which states that there exists a canonical Ricci flow through singularities starting from an arbitrary compact Riemannian 3-manifold. Our main result is a uniqueness theorem for such flows, which, together with an earlier existence theorem of Lott and the second named author, implies Perelman's conjecture. We also show that this flow through singularities depends continuously on its initial condition and that it may be obtained as a limit of Ricci flows with surgery. Our results have applications to the study of diffeomorphism groups of three manifolds --- in particular to the Generalized Smale Conjecture --- which will appear in a subsequent paper.