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Abstract Let M be a complete Riemannian manifold and suppose {p\in M} . For each unit vector {v\in T_{p}M} , the Jacobi operator , {\mathcal{J}_{v}:v^{\perp}\rightarrow v^{\perp}} is the symmetric endomorphism, {\mathcal{J}_{v}(w)=R(w,v)v} . Then p is an isotropic point if there exists a constant {\kappa_{p}\in{\mathbb{R}}} such that {\mathcal{J}_{v}=\kappa_{p}\operatorname{Id}_{v^{\perp}}} for each unit vector {v\in T_{p}M} . If all points are isotropic, then M is said to be isotropic; it is a classical result of Schur that isotropic manifolds of dimension at least 3 have constant sectional curvatures. In this paper we consider almost isotropic manifolds , i.e. manifolds having the property that for each {p\in M} , there exists a constant {\kappa_{p}\in\mathbb{R}} such that the Jacobi operators {\mathcal{J}_{v}} satisfy {\operatorname{rank}({\mathcal{J}_{v}-\kappa_{p}\operatorname{Id}_{v^{\perp}}}% )\leq 1} for each unit vector {v\in T_{p}M} . Our main theorem classifies the almost isotropic simply connected Kähler manifolds, proving that those of dimension {d=2n\geqslant 4} are either isometric to complex projective space or complex hyperbolic space or are totally geodesically foliated by leaves isometric to {{\mathbb{C}}^{n-1}} . 

A Riemannian manifold $$M$$ has higher hyperbolic rank if every geodesic has a perpendicular Jacobi field making sectional curvature $-1$ with the geodesic. If, in addition, the sectional curvatures of $$M$$ lie in the interval $$[-1,-\frac{1}{4}]$$ and $$M$$ is closed, we show that $$M$$ is a locally symmetric space of rank one. This partially extends work by Constantine using completely different methods. It is also a partial counterpart to Hamenstädt’s hyperbolic rank rigidity result for sectional curvatures $$\leq -1$$ , and complements well-known results on Euclidean and spherical rank rigidity.