Homogeneous Riemannian manifolds with non-trivial nullity (Q2120885)

Given a Riemannian manifold \(M\) with curvature tensor \(R\) and a point \(p\in M\), the nullity subspace \(\nu_p\) of \(M\) at \(p\) is defined as the subset of \(T_pM\) consisting of those vectors that annihilate \(R\), i.e., \(\nu_p =\{ v \in T_pM \,:\, R_{x,y}v = 0, \forall x,y\in T_pM\}\). The concept of nullity of the curvature tensor was introduced by \textit{S.-S. Chern} and \textit{N. H. Kuiper} in [Ann. Math. (2) 56, 422--430 (1952; Zbl 0052.17601)]. In the paper under review, the authors developed a general theory for irreducible homogeneous Riemannian spaces \(M=G/H\), in relation to the nullity distribution \(\nu\) of their curvature tensor (Theorem A). For this purpose, they have applied original and effective tools. In particular, they constructed natural invariant distributions associated with the nullity. A Killing field \(X\) on a homogeneous Riemannian manifold \(M\) is called a transvection at \(q\) if \((\nabla X)_q = 0\). Assume that \(M=G/H\) has non-trivial nullity distribution \(\nu\) and does not split off, locally, a Euclidean factor. It is proved in this case that there must exist an order-two transvection, not in the nullity subspace, with null Jacobi operator (Proposition 3.6 and Theorem 3.12). This observation was very important in the construction of first homogeneous examples with non-trivial nullity, i.e., where the nullity distribution is not parallel. These examples are special non-unimodular solvable Lie groups with suitable left-invariant Riemannian metrics of conullity \(k=3\), in any dimension \(\geq 4\) (Theorem 9.6). It should be noted also that a simply connected homogeneous Riemannian manifold \(M=G/H\) with reductive \(G\) and without a Euclidean de Rham factor has a trivial nullity (Corollary 3.16). The same is true for any \(2\)-step nilpotent Lie group \(G\) with a left-invariant metric which does not split off a local flat factor (Corollary 3.17). Another important result of the paper is that the leaves (i.e., the integral manifolds) of the nullity distribution are closed (Theorem 7.5). This implies that \(M\) is a Euclidean affine bundle over the quotient by the leaves of \(\nu\). Moreover, the authors prove that \(\nu^{\perp}\) defines a metric connection on this bundle with transitive holonomy or, equivalently, \(\nu^{\perp}\) is completely non-integrable (Theorem 7.7).