The local moduli of Sasakian \(3\)-manifolds (Q1854134)

Sasakian geometry, as introduced by I. Sasaki [Tôhoku Math. J. (2) 12, 459-476 (1960; Zbl 0192.27903)] is related to almost contact structures. It consists of a Riemannian metric and contact structure adapted to the metric in a certain sense. \textit{H. Geiges} [Tôhoku Math. J. (2) 49, No. 3, 415-422 (1997; Zbl 0897.53024)] classified the topology of all closed Sasakian 3-manifolds and found the following types: (a) \(S^3\), (b) \(\widetilde{SL}_2 (\mathbb{R})\), (c) Nil, or a quotient by a discrete subgroup of the appropriate isometry group acting free. Then \textit{F. A. Belgun} [Math. Z. 238, No. 3, 441-460 (2001; Zbl 1043.32020)] classified the CR structures associated with closed nonspherical Sasakian 3-manifolds. Finally, the author mentions a personal result [Einstein metrics adaptated to contact structures on 3-manifolds, preprint (2000, http://arxiv.org./abs/math/0012027] by which any Sasakian-Einstein structure on \(\mathbb{R}^3\) is diffeomorphic to the standard Sasakian structure on an open subset of \(S^3\). In the present paper he completes the local classification of Sasakian structures by proving the following theorem. Theorem. The local space of smooth Sasakian structures is given by a real function of two variables. In essence, this structure theorem says that locally, all Sasakian structures arise as a Kaluza-Klein construction on a line bundle over an open set \(U\subset\mathbb{R}^2\), the real function mentioned in the theorem being the conformal factor of the Riemannian metric on \(U\), when written in isothermal coordinates. The Sasakian structures are in one-to-one correspondence with the Riemannian structures on \(U\). In addition, all Sasakian \(\eta\)-Einstein structures are found. These include \(S^3\), \(\widetilde {SL}_2 (\mathbb{R})\), and Nil, as well as the Berger spheres. Many of these are examples of Sasakian 3-manifolds with negative scalar curvature. The main tool used is the Newman-Penrose-Perjes spin coefficient formalism, in accordance with the above mentioned author's preprint.