Homogeneous Einstein metrics on Euclidean spaces are Einstein solvmanifolds (Q2159740)

A Riemannian manifold \((M,g)\) is called Einstein if its Ricci tensor satisfies \(\operatorname{ric}_g=\lambda\cdot g\) for some Einstein constant \(\lambda\in\mathbb R\). A Riemannian manifold \((M,g)\) is called homogeneous if its isometry group acts transitively on \(M\). The Alekseevskii conjecture claims that any connected homogeneous Einstein space of negative scalar curvature is diffeomorphic to a Euclidean space. The main result of the article under review ensures that any homogeneous Einstein metric on \(\mathbb R^n\) is isometric to a solvable Lie group endowed with a left-invariant metric (i.e., a simply connected solvmanifold). Together with the structural results in [\textit{J. Heber}, Invent. Math. 133, No. 2, 279--352 (1998; Zbl 0906.53032); \textit{J. Lauret}, Ann. Math. (2) 172, No. 3, 1859--1877 (2010; Zbl 1220.53061)] about standard Einstein solvmanifolds, the above result would imply a very precise understanding of all non-compact homogeneous Einstein manifolds provided the Alekseevskii conjecture holds. It is worth mentioning that the same authors have proposed a proof of the Alekseevskii conjecture in July 2021 and is currently (August 2022) under the review process. A nice summary of the proof is included in the introductory section. Furthermore, the article also includes further results on homogeneous Ricci solitons.