Curvature-orbits and locally homogeneous Riemannian manifolds (Q1327142): Difference between revisions

This paper contains a treatment of globally and locally homogeneous spaces by means of infinitesimal models. Let \(V\) be an \(n\)-dimensional real vector space and \(g\) a positive definite scalar product on it. Further, let \(T\) be a (1,2)-tensor and \(K\) a (1,3)-tensor on \(V\). Then \((T,K)\) is called an infinitesimal model on \(V\) if \(T_ X Y= -T_ Y X\), \(K_{XY}= -K_{YX}\), \(g(K_{XY} Z,W)= -g(K_{XY} W,Z)\), \(K_{XY}\cdot T= K_{XY}\cdot K= 0\), \(\underset{X,Y,Z}{\mathfrak S} (K_{XY} Z+ T_{T_ X Y}Z)= 0\), \(\underset{X,Y,Z}{\mathfrak S}= K_{T_ X Y} Z= 0\) for all \(X,Y,Z,W\in V\). The torsion tensor \(T\) and the curvature tensor \(K\) of the canonical \(G\)- invariant connection of the second kind, associated to a reductive decomposition of the Lie algebra of a transitive Lie group \(G\) of isometries on a homogeneous Riemannian manifold, provide an infinitesimal model on every tangent space of it. Similarly, every tangent space of a locally homogeneous space is also equipped with an infinitesimal model since a Riemannian manifold is shown to be locally homogeneous if and only if there exists a metric linear connection on it with parallel torsion and parallel curvature tensor (an AS-connection). The main result in this paper is a proof of the following interesting converse: For any infinitesimal model \((T,K)\) on \(V\) there exists a locally homogeneous Riemannian manifold \((M,g)\) such that, for \(p\in M\) and for a suitable linear isometry \(F: T_ p M\to V\), \(F^* T\), resp. \(F^* K\), is the torsion tensor, resp. curvature tensor, of an AS- connection on \((M,g)\). This is in sharp contrast to the situation for globally homogeneous spaces because there exist \((T,K)\) which are not an infinitesimal model of a homogeneous space. So, the authors show that there exist locally homogeneous spaces which are not locally isometric to a homogeneous space. Further, let \({\mathcal R}(V)\) be the space of algebraic curvature tensors on \(V\) and consider the orbits under the natural action of \(O(n)\) on it. The above result shows which \(O(n)\)-orbits can occur for a locally homogeneous space. As another application of the methods used in this paper, the authors show that a locally homogeneous space \((M,g)\) with generic curvature tensor \(R\) (i.e., the orbit of \(R\) is maximal) is locally isometric to a Lie group equipped with a left invariant metric.