Einstein metrics on a product manifold (Q1340364)

The study of the integral of the scalar curvature \(I(g)\) as a function on the set of all Riemannian metrics \(g\) of the same total volume on a compact manifold is well known and the critical points are the Einstein manifolds, [see \textit{Y. Muto}, J. Differ. Geom. 9, 521-530 (1974; Zbl 0288.53037) or \textit{A. L. Besse}, Einstein manifolds, Springer-Verlag (1987; Zbl 0613.53001)]. The author denotes by \({\mathcal A} (M)\) the set of all Riemannian metrics \(g\) on the product manifold \((M,g) = (M_ 1 \times M_ 2,\;g_ 1 \times g_ 2)\) satisfying the following conditions: (c.1) \((M_ 1, g_ 1)\) and \((M_ 2, g_ 2)\) are compact connected and irreducible Riemannian symmetric spaces, and (c.2) the volume of the product manifold \((M,g) = (M_ 1 \times M_ 2,\;g_ 1 \times g_ 2)\) is 1. The following theorem is proved: Let \((M,g)\) be the product manifold of two compact connected irreducible Riemannian symmetric spaces \((M_ 1,g_ 1)\) and \((M_ 2,g_ 2)\) such that \(g\) is in \({\mathcal A}(M)\). Then the metric \(g\) is an Einstein metric iff it is a critical point of \(I(g)\) in \({\mathcal A} (M)\). Moreover, if a metric \(g\) is a critical point of \(I(g)\) in \(\mathcal A(M)\), then \(g\) gives a minimum of \(I(g)\) for any deformation \(g(t)\) of \(g\) in \({\mathcal A} (M)\).