Convergence of the \(J\)-flow on toric manifolds (Q1700297)

The paper under review deals with the concept of \(J\)-flow introduced by \textit{S. K. Donaldson} [Asian J. Math. 3, No. 1, 1--15 (1999; Zbl 0999.53053)] and \textit{X. X. Chen} [Commun. Anal. Geom. 12, No. 4, 837--852 (2004; Zbl 1073.53089)]. Namely, let \((M^n, \alpha)\) be a compact Kähler manifold and \(\Omega\) be a Kähler class on \(M\) unrelated to \(\alpha\). Then the \(J\)-flow is the parabolic equation \[ \frac{\partial}{\partial t}\omega_t = - \sqrt{-1}\partial\bar\partial\Lambda_{\omega_t}\alpha \] with initial condition \(\omega_0\in\Omega\). The main attention in the paper is paid to the convergence of the \(J\)-flow. Due to previous results of \textit{J. Song} and \textit{B. Weinkove} [Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 61, No. 2, 210--229 (2008; Zbl 1135.53047)], the flow converges whenever there exists a metric \(\omega\in\Omega\) satisfying \(\Lambda_\omega\alpha = c\), where \(c\) is a constant determined by \(\int_M c\omega^n-n\omega^{n-1}\wedge\alpha =0\). Moreover, such an \(\omega\) exists iff there exists a metric \(\chi\in\Omega\) such that the \((n-1,n-1)\)-form \(c\chi^{n-1}-(n-1)\chi^{n-2}\wedge\alpha\) is positive. One of the main results of the paper states that the convergence of the \(J\)-flow on \((M^n, \alpha)\) depends not on the chosen background metric \(\alpha\), but on the class \([\alpha ]\). Theorem 1. Suppose that there is a metric \(\omega\in\Omega\) such that \(\Lambda_\omega\alpha = c\). Let \(\beta\in [\alpha]\) be another Kähler metric. Then there exists \(\omega^\prime\in\Omega\) such that \(\Lambda_{\omega^\prime}\beta = c\). It is claimed that the problem of finding effective necessary and sufficient conditions for the convergence of the \(J\)-flow is still an open problem. \textit{M. Lejmi} and the second author formulated a conjecture [Adv. Math. 274, 404--431 (2015; Zbl 1370.53051)] which may be interpreted as a particular criterion of the convergence: There exists \(\omega\in\Omega\) satisfying \(\Lambda_\omega\alpha = c \) iff for all irreducible subvarieties \(V^p\subset M^n\), \( 0 < p < n\), one has \(\int_V c\chi^p-p\chi^{p-1}\wedge\alpha > 0\) for \(\chi\in\Omega\), see [Adv. Math. 274, 404-431 (2015; Zbl 1370.53051)]. It turns out that the conjecture holds true for toric manifolds. Theorem 2. Let \(M^n\) be a compact toric manifold with two Kähler metrics \(\alpha\), \(\chi\). Suppose that the constant \(c>0\) satisfies \(\int_M c\chi^n-n\chi^{n-1}\wedge\alpha \geq 0\), and for all irreducible toric subvarieties \(V^p\subset M^n\), \( 0 < p \leq n-1\), one has \(\int_V c\chi^p-p\chi^{p-1}\wedge\alpha >0\). Then there exists a metric \(\omega\in [\chi ]\) such that \(\Lambda_\omega\alpha +C\frac{\alpha^n}{\omega^n} = c\) for a suitable constant \(C\geq 0\). In particular, if \(\int_M c\chi^n-n\chi^{n-1}\wedge\alpha = 0\), then \(\Lambda_\omega\alpha = c\). Analytical methods developed for studying the \(J\)-flow on toric manifolds involve original a priori estimates for convex solutions of the equation \(\Delta h + C \det D^2 h =0\) and may be extended to more general inverse \(\sigma_k\) equations of the form \[ \sum_{k=1}^n c_k {{n}\choose{k}} \alpha^k\wedge \omega^{n-k} = c\omega^n, \] where \(c_j\) are non-negative constants. It is proved that the solvability of these equations in \(\Omega\) is equivalent to the existence of a metric \(\chi\in\Omega\) such that the \((n-1,n-1)\)-form \(c\chi^{n-1} - \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} c_k {{n-1}\choose{k}} \chi^{n-k-1}\wedge\alpha^k\) is positive, cf. [\textit{H. Fang} et al., J. Reine Angew. Math. 653, 189--220 (2011; Zbl 1222.53070)].