Nonnegatively curved homogeneous metrics in low dimensions (Q1942006)

The authors consider invariant Riemannian metrics on compact homogeneous spaces \(G/H\) where an intermediate subgroup \(K\) between \(G\) and \(H\) exists. In this case, the homogeneous space \(G/H\) is the total space of a Riemannian submersion \(K/H\to G/H\to G/K\). The metrics constructed by shrinking the fibers in this way can be interpreted as metrics obtained from a Cheeger deformation and are well known to be nonnegatively curved. On the other hand, if the fibers are homothetically enlarged, it depends on the triple of groups \((H, K, G)\) whether non-negative curvature is maintained for small deformations. Building on the work of \textit{L. Schwachhöfer} and \textit{K. Tapp} [J. Geom. Anal. 19, No. 4, 929--943 (2009; Zbl 1185.53039)], they examine all \(G\)-invariant fibration metrics on \(G/H\) for a compact simple Lie group \(G\) of dimension up to 15. An analysis of the low dimensional examples provides insight into the algebraic criteria that yield continuous families of nonnegative sectional curvature. In more detail, the set-up is the following: Let \(\mathfrak{g}\) be the Lie algebra of \(G\) and let \(\mathfrak{k}, \mathfrak{h}\) be the Lie subalgebras of the subgroups \(K\) and \(H\) of \(G\), such that \(\mathfrak{h}\subset \mathfrak{k}\subset\mathfrak{g}\). Let \(g_0\) be a bi-invariant metric of \(G\) and use this to fix orthogonal complements \(\mathfrak{k}=\mathfrak{h}\oplus\mathfrak{m}\) and \(\mathfrak{g}=\mathfrak{k}\oplus \mathfrak{s}\), where \(\mathfrak{m}\cong T_o(K/H)\) and \(\mathfrak{s}\cong T_o(G/K)\). Then the tangent space of the total space \(G/H\) is \(\mathfrak{p}=\mathfrak{m}\oplus\mathfrak{h}\). Consider the one-parameter family of metrics on \(G/H\) given by \[ g_t = \frac1{t-1}\cdot \left.g_0\right |_{\mathfrak{m}\times\mathfrak{m}} +\left.g_0\right|_{\mathfrak{s}\times\mathfrak{s}}. \] Then the main result of the paper is the following: Let \(G\) be a simple compact Lie group of dimension at most \(15\). Then the homogeneous space \(G/H\) with fibration metric \(g_t\) of the nested compact Lie groups \((H, K, G)\) described above admits non-negative sectional curvature for small \(t>0\) if and only if one of the following holds: (i) \((K,H)\) is a symmetric pair, or more generally, \([\mathfrak{m}, \mathfrak{m}]^{\mathfrak{m}}=0\); (ii) the chain \((H, K, G)\) is one of \((\text{SU}(2), \text{SO}(4), \text{SO}(5))\) or \((\text{SU}(2), \text{SO}(4), \text{G}_2)\), where in the second case the subgroup \(\text{SU}(2)\) is such that \(\text{SU}(2)\subset\text{SU}(3)\subset\text{G}_2\).