Torsion tensor and critical metrics on contact \((2n + 1)\)-manifolds (Q1207645)

Let \((M,\omega,g)\) be a compact contact Riemannian manifold, \(r\) the scalar curvature and \(\xi\) the characteristic vector field. In a previous paper [Kodai Math. J. 13, No. 1, 88-100 (1990; Zbl 0709.53034)] the author proved that in dimension 3 the critical point condition of \(I(g)=\) ``integral of the scalar curvature'', as a functional on the space of all associated metrics \(M(\omega)\), is \(\nabla_ \xi\tau=0\) where \(\tau=L_ \xi g\) is the torsion introduced by \textit{S. S. Chern} and \textit{R. S. Hamilton} [Lect. Notes Math. 1111, 279-305 (1985; Zbl 0561.53039)]. This condition can be expressed also as \(\nabla_ \xi{^*T}=0\) where \(^*T\) is the generalized Tanaka connection introduced by \textit{S. Tanno} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 314, No. 1, 349-379 (1989; Zbl 0677.53043)]. The present paper generalizes \(I(g)\) to higher dimensions to give a variational characterization of \(\nabla_ \xi{^*T}=0\); more precisely we consider \(I(g)=\) ``integral of \((r+r_ 1)\)'' where \(r_ 1:=r^*+2nS(\xi,\xi)\) with \(S(\xi,\xi)\) the Ricci curvature in the direction of the characteristic vector field and \(r^*\) the so-called \(^*\)-scalar curvature. Note that if \(\dim M=3\) or the contact Riemannian metric is normal, then \(r_ 1=r\). In this paper are studied also tangent sphere bundles \((T_ 1N,\omega_ 0,g_ 0)\), as contact Riemannian manifolds, which satisfy the condition \(\nabla_ \xi{^*T}=0\). In particular, when \(\dim T_ 1N=3\) we find that the standard contact Riemannian metric \(g_ 0\) is a critical point of \(I(g)\) on \({\mathcal M}(\omega_ 0)\) iff \(g_ 0\) is a critical point of \(I(g)\) defined on the set \({\mathcal M}\) of all Riemannian metrics of the same total volume on \(T_ 1N\), i.e. \(g_ 0\) is of Einstein. This last result is surprising because when one considers the functional \(I(g)\) restricted to a smaller set of metrics, one would expect a weaker critical point condition.