On the classification of Lorentzian holonomy groups (Q2372251)

By the Wu-de Rham decomposition theorem (1964), the classification of holonomy groups of simply connected pseudo-Riemannian manifolds reduces to that of indecomposable such groups. Let \(V\) be a pseudo-Euclidian vector space. A subgroup \(H \subset O(V)\) is called indecomposable if all proper \(H\)-invariant subspaces \(U\subset V\) are degenerate. Irreducible subgroups \(H\subset O(V)\) are indecomposable but for indefinite scalar products there exist also reducible indecomposable groups. Irreducible holonomy groups of simply connected pseudo-Riemannian manifolds have been classifed by Berger (1955). For Lorentzian signature, \(\text{SO}_0(V)\) is the only such group. Let \(V\) be a Lorentzian vector space and \(H\subset O(V)\cong O(n+1,1)\) a reducible indecomposable subgroup. Such groups have been classified by \textit{L. Bérard-Bergery} and \textit{A. Ikemakhen} [On the holonomy of Lorentzian manifolds, Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 54, 27--40 (1993; Zbl 0807.53014)]. Obviously \(H\) preserves a degenerate subspace \(U\subset V\) and hence the null line \(L=U\cap U^\perp\). The stabilizer \(O(V)_L\) of \(L\) in the pseudo-orthogonal group \(O(V)\) is isomorphic to the group of similarities of the Euclidian space \(\mathbb{R}^n\). Thus, \(H\) can be considered as a subgroup of \((\mathbb{R}^+\times O(n))\ltimes\mathbb{R}^n\). Let us denote by \(G\) the \(O(n)\)-projection of \(H\). The main result of the paper is that \(G\subset O(n)\) is the holonomy group of a Riemannian manifold if \(H\subset O(n+1,1)\) is the holonomy group of a Lorentzian manifold. The proof relies on the representation theory of compact groups and is rather involved. This finishes the classification of holonomy groups of simply connected Lorentzian manifolds, since \textit{A. S. Galaev} [Int. J. Geom. Methods Mod. Phys. 3, No. 5-6, 1025--1045 (2006; Zbl 1112.53039)] has constructed a Lorentzian metric with holonomy group \(H\) for any connected reducible indecomposable subgroup \(H\subset O(n+1,1)\) for which the \(O(n)\)-projection \(G\) is a Riemannian holonomy group. Before the work of Galaev such metrics were known for certain classes but not for all of the indecomposable subgroups \(H\subset O(n+1,1)\), by the work of Cahen and Wallach (1970), who classified simply connected Lorentzian symmetric spaces, and Bérard-Bergery and Ikemakhen, who constructed the first non-symmetric examples. The classification of holonomy groups of simply connected pseudo-Riemannian manifolds of index 2 is still open but Galaev has classified holonomy groups of simply connected pseudo-Kähler manifolds of index 2 in his thesis [Holonomy groups and special geometric structures of pseudo-Kählerian manifolds of index 2. Humboldt-University Berlin (2006; Zbl 1127.53305)]. Unfortunately, the analogue of Leistner's result about the \(O(n)\)-projection does not hold, which makes the latter classification surprisingly complicated.