Conformal mappings of \(G\)-structures (Q1813185)

Let \(G\subset GL(n,\mathbb{R})\) be a connected unimodular linear group and \(\tilde G=\mathbb{R}^ +G\) its conformal extension. Any \(G\)-structure \(\pi: P\to M\) may be naturally extended to a \(\tilde G\)-structure \(\tilde \pi: P\to M\). A group \(A\) of conformal transformations of a \(G\)-structure \(\pi\) (that is a group of automorphisms of \(\tilde\pi\)) is called nonessential, if it preserves some \(G\)-structure \(\pi_ 1\) with the same conformal extension \(\tilde\pi_ 1=\tilde\pi\). Theorem. A group \(A\) of conformal transformations of a \(G\)-structure \(\pi: P\to M\) is nonessential, if one of the following conditions is fulfilled: 1) the group \(A\) has compact stationary subgroups and \(\pi\) has finite order; 2) the group \(A\) is reductive and acts on \(M\) transitively, and \(M\) is reductive as a homogeneous space of the group \(A\). Let \(G\) be an irreducible linear group of finite type. The author determines \(G\)-structures, that have maximal groups of conformal transformations. These results may be applied to classical \(G\)-structures of second order, e.g. to conformal and quaternionic structures. In particular they give a new proof of the theorem about the classification of quaternionic structures with maximal automorphism group, see the author [Sov. Math., Dokl. 37, No. 2, 381-384 (1988); translation from Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 299, No. 3, 521-525 (1988; Zbl 0695.17011)] and \textit{E. Musso} [On the transformation group of a quaternionic manifold, Preprint 1989/90, Univ. of Florence ``Ulisse Dini''].