Almost Hermitian structures and quaternionic geometries (Q1877086)

Recall that an almost hyper-Hermitian structure on a manifold \(M\) consists of a Riemannian metric \(g\) and three sections \(I,J,K\) of \(\text{End}(TM)\) which preserve \(g\), and satisfy the quaternion relations \(I^2=J^2=-1\) and \(K=IJ=-JI\). This gives rise to three Kähler forms \(\omega_A\), and three almost Hermitian structures \((g,\omega_A)\), \(A=I,J,K\). According to \textit{A. Gray} and \textit{L. M. Hervella} [Ann.\ Mat.\ Pura Appl.\ 123, 35--58 (1980; Zbl 0444.53032)] the covariant derivative of the Kähler form of an almost Hermitian structure naturally decomposes into four components. This allows to introduce \(2^4=16\) special classes of almost Hermitian structures by requiring some of these components to vanish. For an almost hyper-Hermitian structure the classes to which the almost Hermitian structures \((g,\nabla\omega_A)\), \(A=I,J,K\), belong are not independent. The paper under review systematically studies these relations. This is a vast generalization of earlier prototypical examples. For instance \textit{M. Obata} [Tohoku Math.\ J.\ 10, 11--18 (1058; Zbl 0093.35403)] observed that if \(I\) and \(J\) are integrable then so is \(K\), and a result of \textit{N. J. Hitchin} [Proc.\ Lond. Math.\ Soc.\ 55, 59--126 (1987; Zbl 0634.53045)] tells that if all three Kähler forms are closed then the manifold is hyper-Kähler. These relations lead to a total of 167 special classes of almost hyper-Hermitian structures, carefully listed at the end of the paper. Because of the absence of examples it is not clear that all of these 167 classes actually occur. Every almost hyper-Hermitian manifold gives rise to an almost quaternion-Hermitian structure, i.e.\ a reduction of the structure group to \(\text{Sp}(n)\text{Sp}(1)\). An almost quaternion-Hermitian manifold has a fundamental form \(\Omega\), a non-degenerate \(4\)-form. The covariant derivative \(\nabla\Omega\) naturally decomposes into six components [\textit{A. Swann}, C.\ R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 308, 225--228 (1989; Zbl 0661.53023)]. This can be used to introduce \(2^6=64\) special classes of almost quaternion-Hermitian manifolds. The paper under review clarifies how this classification interacts with the classification of almost hyper-Hermitian manifolds. In the list of almost hyper-Hermitian structures the type of \(\nabla\Omega\) is listed too.