Embedded surfaces for symplectic circle actions (Q1688133)

In the paper under review, the authors characterize symplectic and Hamiltonian circle actions on symplectic manifolds in terms of symplectic embeddings of Riemann surfaces. The authors prove that if a symplectic manifold \((M, \omega)\) admits a Hamiltonian \(S^1\)-action, then there is a two-sphere \(S^2 \subset (M, \omega)\) with \(\int_{S^2} \omega>0\) and \(\langle c_1(M,\omega), [S^2] \rangle>0\). On the other hand, if the action is non-Hamiltonian, then there exists an \(S^1\)-invariant symplectic two-torus \(T^2\subset (M, \omega)\) such that \(\langle c_1(M,\omega), [T^2] \rangle=0\). The authors apply their results to provide a relatively simple proof of the following known theorem: Given a closed symplectic manifold \((M, \omega)\), where \(c_1(M, \omega)\) is \(\lambda\)-proportional to \([\omega]\) for some \(\lambda\in \mathbb R\), and a compact connected Lie group \(G\) which acts on \((M, \omega)\) effectively (i.e., the identity element in \(G\) is the unique element which fixes the whole of \(M\)), and preserves \(\omega\). If \(\lambda\) is positive (\((M, \omega)\) is a monotone symplectic manifold), then the \(G\)-action is Hamiltonian. If \(\lambda\) vanishes (\((M, \omega)\) is a Calabi-Yau symplectic manifold), then the \(G\)-action is non-Hamiltonian. If \(\lambda\) is negative (\((M, \omega)\) is a negatively monotone symplectic manifold), then \(G\) is trivial. In the monotone symplectic case, this theorem has been first proven by \textit{M. F. Atiyah} and \textit{R. Bott} [Topology 23, 1--28 (1984; Zbl 0521.58025)] and \textit{G. Lupton} and \textit{J. Oprea} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 347, No. 1, 261--288 (1995; Zbl 0836.57019)]. In the symplectic Calabi-Yau case and the negatively monotone case it has been first proven by Ono.