Unique continuation results for Ricci curvature and applications

Unique continuation results are proved for metrics with prescribed Ricci curvature in the setting of bounded metrics on compact manifolds with boundary, and in the setting of complete conformally compact metrics on such manifolds. Related to this issue, an isometry extension property is proved: continuous groups of isometrics at conformal infinity extend into the bulk of any complete conformally compact Einstein metric. Relations of this property with the invariance of the Gauss-Codazzi constraint equations under deformations are also discussed. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.