Closed \(\operatorname{G}_2\)-eigenforms and exact \(\operatorname{G}_2\)-structures (Q2104851)

The group \(G_2\) is one of the exceptional cases in Berger's list of restricted holonomy groups of non-locally symmetric irreducible Riemannian manifolds (see [\textit{M. Berger}, Bull. Soc. Math. Fr. 83, 279--330 (1955; Zbl 0068.36002)]). A \textit{\(G_2\)-structure} on a seven-dimensional manifold \(M\) is a three-form \(\eta\) on \(M\) with pointwise stabilizer conjugate to \(G_2 \subset SO(7) \subset GL(7; \mathbb{R})\). The form induces a Riemannian metric \(g\), an orientation. and a Hodge star operator on \(M\). The holonomy group of \(g\) is contained in \(G_2\) if the structure is parallel with respect to the Levi-Civita connection, which is the case if and only if \(\eta\) is closed and coclosed (see [\textit{M. Fernandez} and \textit{A. Gray}, Ann. Mat. Pura Appl. (4) 132, 19--45 (1982; Zbl 0524.53023); \textit{M. Fernandez} and \textit{T. Iglesias}, Rend. Circ. Mat. Palermo (2) 35, 276--290 (1986; Zbl 0617.53050)]). In the paper under review the authors study left-invariant \(G_2\)-structures with an exact 3-form on a Lie group \(G\) whose Lie algebra \(\mathfrak{g}\) admits a codimension-one nilpotent ideal \(\mathfrak{h}\). The authors give a detailed motivation explaining how this case is related to the problem of existence of compact manifolds with holonomy iqual to \(G_2\). They show that such a Lie group \(G\) cannot admit a left-invariant closed \(G_2\)-eigenform for the Laplacian and that any compact solvmanifold \(\Gamma \setminus G\) arising from \(G\) does not admit an (invariant) exact \(G_2\)-structure. They also classify the seven-dimensional Lie algebras \(g\) with codimension-one ideal equal to the complex Heisenberg Lie algebra which admit exact \(G_2\)-structures with or without special torsion.