Geometric flow

In the mathematical field of differential geometry, a geometric flow, also called a geometric evolution equation, is a type of partial differential equation for a geometric object such as a Riemannian metric or an embedding. It is not a term with a formal meaning, but is typically understood to refer to parabolic partial differential equations.

Certain geometric flows arise as the gradient flow associated with a functional on a manifold which has a geometric interpretation, usually associated with some extrinsic or intrinsic curvature. Such flows are fundamentally related to the calculus of variations, and include mean curvature flow and Yamabe flow.