An integral invariant from the view point of locally conformally Kähler geometry (Q1938855)

The authors consider an analogue of the Futaki invariant. They first introduced an invariant \((*)\), given by \(\displaystyle f(X)=-\int_M X\left(\frac {\rho(\Omega)^n}{\Omega}\right)\Omega\), on a compact complex manifold \(M\) of dimension \(n\) with volume form \(\Omega\) where \(X\) is a holomorphic vector field and \(\displaystyle \rho(\Omega)=-i\partial\bar\partial\text{log}\Omega\) is the Ricci form. Denote by \(\Gamma\) the fundamental group of \(M\) acting holomorphically, properly, discontinuously, and freely on the universal covering complex manifold \(\tilde M\). A volume form \(\Omega\) on \(\tilde M\) is ``automatic'' if there exists a homomorphism \(\chi:\Gamma\rightarrow {\mathbb R}^+\) such that \(\gamma^*\Omega=\chi(\gamma)\Omega\). That is, \(\Gamma\) acts by holomorphically homothetic transformations. If \(\Omega\) is automatic, then for an invariant homorphic vector field \(X\) on \(\tilde M\), \(\displaystyle \rho_\Omega=-i\partial\bar\partial\text{log}\Omega\) is defined on \(\tilde M\) and the invariant \((**)\), given by \(\displaystyle f(X)=-\int_M \text{div}X \rho_\Omega^n\) is also defined. Then, \(f:\mathfrak h_\Gamma(\tilde M)\rightarrow {\mathbb C}\) is a linear function. The authors prove in Theorem 1.1 that the invariants \((*)\) and \((**)\) coincide. In particular, the invariant (**) is independent of the choice of the character \(\chi\). They focus on locally conformal Kähler manifolds to study this invariant. In fact, if \(M\) is a compact locally conformal Kähler (lcK) manifold, then the universal covering \(\tilde M\) is endowed with a Kähler form \(\Omega\) on which the fundamental group \(\Gamma\) acts homothetically \((\text{dim} M>2)\). There is a homomorphism \(\chi:\Gamma\rightarrow {\mathbb R}^+\) such that \(\gamma^*\Omega=\chi(\gamma)\Omega\). Of course, if \(\chi\) is trivial, it descends down to \(M\) so that \(M\) is globally conformal Kähler. A non-Kähler example of lcK manifolds is given by Vaisman manifolds, where the Lee field obtained from the lcK form on \(M\) is parallel (Killing with respect to the lcK metric). The authors show Theorem 1.2: The invariant \(\displaystyle f(X)=-\int_M \text{div}X \rho_\Omega^n\) vanishes for any compact Vaisman manifold. The rest of this paper is a calculation and application to some non-Kähler lcK manifolds.