Rigidity of homogeneous gradient soliton metrics and related equations (Q2168660)

Let \((M,g)\) be a Riemannian manifold, and let \(G\) be a transitive group of isometries of \(M\). Consider the following equations: \((1)\mathrm{Hess}(f) = q\), and \((2)\mathrm{Hess}(w) = w q\), where \(f,w\) are smooth functions on \(M\) and \(q\) is a smooth \(G\)-invariant symmetric 2-tensor on \(M\). Let \(F(q)\) and \(W(q)\) denote the solution spaces of (1) and (2) respectively. The authors generalize their previous work [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 137, No. 6, 2085--2092 (2009; Zbl 1168.53021)] done in the case \(F(\lambda g - \mathrm{Ric})\), corresponding to gradient Ricci solitons, and \(W(\frac{1}{m} (\mathrm{Ric} - \lambda g))\), \(m \in \mathbb{Z}^{+}\), corresponding to warped product Einstein metrics. Here is the main theorem. Theorem. Let \((M,g)\) be a Riemannian manifold and let \(G\) be a transitive group of isometries of \(M\). Let \(q\) be a divergence free, symmetric 2-tensor on \(M\). If there is a nonconstant function \(f\) in \(F(q)\), then \((M,g)\) is a Riemannian product manifold \(N \times \mathbb{R}^{k}\) and \(f\) is a function on the Euclidean factor. Note that on a homogeneous Riemannian manifold the Ricci tensor is divergence free. The divergence free condition can be replaced by the condition \(\mathrm{Ric}(\nabla f, \nabla f) \geq 0\) for \(f \in F(q)\). This is satisfied, for example, by all homogeneous gradient Ricci solitons. A \(G\)-homogeneous space \((M,g)\) is called a \textit{1-dimensional extension} if there is a point \(x\) of \(M\), a closed subgroup \(H\) of \(G\) and a surjective group homomorphism \(\varphi : G \rightarrow (\mathbb{R} , +)\) such that \(H\) is the kernel of \(\varphi\) and \(G_{x} \subset H\). Here is another important result. Theorem. Let \(G\) be a transitive group of isometries of an \(n\)-dimensional Riemannian manifold \(M\), and let \(g\) be a \(G\)-invariant symmetric 2-tensor on \(M\). If \(W(g)\) is nonrivial, then \((M,g)\) is isometric to one of the following: (1) A space of constant curvature and \(\dim W = n+1\); (2) The Riemannian product of a homogeneous space and a space of constant curvature, where \(2 \leq \dim~W \leq n\) and \(W\) consists of smooth functions on the constant curvature factor; (3) \(M = (H \times \mathbb{R}) / \pi_{1}(M)\), where \(H\) is homogeneous and \(W = \{ w : \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R} ~\mathrm{and}~w'' = \tau~ w : \tau < 0, \tau~\mathrm{constant} \}\); (4) A 1-dimensional extension and \(\dim W = 1\). The authors also consider the trace-free versions of equations (1) and (2) whose solution spaces are denoted \(\tilde{F}(q)\) and \(\tilde{W}(q)\) respectively. These solution spaces are called \textit{essential} if \(\tilde{F}(q) \neq F(q')\) for all \(q'\) and \(\tilde{W}(q) \neq W(q')\) for all \(q'\) respectively. Theorem. Let \(G\) be a transitive group of isometries of an \(n\)-dimensional Riemannian manifold \(M\), and let \(g\) be a \(G\)-invariant symmetric 2-tensor on \(M\). Then: (1) If \(\tilde{F}(q)\) is essential, then \((M,g)\) has constant sectional curvature; (2) If \(\tilde{W}(q)\) is essential, then \((M,g)\) is locally conformally flat. \textit{H. Takagi} [Tôhoku Math. J. (2) 27, 103--110 (1975; Zbl 0311.53062)] has classified all homogeneous locally conformally flat metrics. Using this classification the authors obtain two results for which \(\tilde{F}(q)\) contains a non-constant function and \(\tilde{W}(q)\) is nontrivial respectively. The authors also consider versions of (1) and (2) where \((M,g)\) is compact and locally homogeneous, \(q\) is a local isometry invariant symmetric 2-tensor and \(\tilde{F}(q)\) contains a nonconstant function or \(\tilde{W}(q)\) is nontrivial. In the first case \((M,g)\) is isometric to a spherical space form, and in the second case \((M,g)\) is isometric to one of three spaces involving Riemannian products or Riemannian quotients of these.