An integral formula for Riemannian \(G\)-structures with applications to almost Hermitian and almost contact structures (Q2423306)

Let \((M,g)\) be an \(n\)-dimensional Riemannian manifold. Assuming that \(M\) is oriented, is equivalent to the reduction of the linear frame bundle \(L(M)\) to the oriented frame bundle \(\mathrm{SO}(M)\), i.e., to an action of the structure group \(\mathrm{SO}(n)\). Existence of additional geometric structure can be considered as a reduction of a structure group \(\mathrm{SO}(n)\) to a certain subgroup \(G\subset \mathrm{SO}(n)\). Let \(\nabla\) be the Levi-Cività connection of the Riemannian metric \(g\), and \(G\subset \mathrm{SO}(n)\) be a closed subgroup. A \((1,2)\)-tensor, called the intrinsic torsion, that measures the defect of the Levi-Cività connection to be a \(G\)-connection, can be defined. The classification of non-integrable geometries can be done by finding the decomposition of the space of all possible intrinsic torsions into irreducible \(G\)-modules. The study of the intrinsic torsion and its decomposition into irreducible summands was initiated by \textit{A. Gray} and \textit{L. M. Hevella} [Ann. Mat. Pura Appl. (4) 123, 35--58 (1980; Zbl 0444.53032)] in the case \(G=\mathrm{U}(n)\), with \(n=2m\). In [Differ. Geom. Appl. 15, No. 3, 265--286 (2001; Zbl 1036.53015)] \textit{G. Bor} and \textit{L. Hernández-Lamoneda} studied curvature obstructions to the existence of orthogonal \(G\)-structures, obtaining an integral formula relating the irreducible components of the intrinsic torsion tensor of the \(G\)-structure with \(G\)-invariants of the curvature tensor of the associated Riemannian metric. In this article, the author obtains integral formulas in a different way by considering a characteristic vector field induced by the intrinsic torsion. Applying the Stokes theorem to the divergence of the characteristic vector field, an integral formula is obtained. Almost Hermitian and almost contact metric structures are studied in detail.