Hermitian metrics, \((n-1,n-1)\) forms and Monge-Ampère equations (Q2331058)

Let \(M\) be a compact complex manifold of dimension \(n>2\). A Hermitian metric \(\omega\) is called (1) Gauduchon metric if \(\partial \bar{\partial} (\omega^{n-1})=0\); (2) strongly Gauduchon metric if \(\bar{\partial} (\omega^{n-1})\) is \(\partial\)-exact; (3) Astheno-Kähler metric if \(\partial \bar{\partial} (\omega^{n-2})=0\). The first part of the paper is devoted to the existence and uniqueness of the solution to the Monge-Ampère equation for \((n-1)\)-plurisubharmonic functions. The following theorem generalizes previous work of the authors [J. Am. Math. Soc. 30, No. 2, 311--346 (2017; Zbl 1366.32015)]. Let \(\omega_0\) and \(\omega\) be two Hermitian metrics, and let \(F\) be a smooth function. Then there exist a unique smooth function \(u\) on \(M\) and a unique constant \(b\) such that \[ \begin{aligned} &\operatorname{det}\left(\omega_0^{n-1}+\sqrt{-1}\partial\bar{\partial}u\wedge \omega^{n-2}\right)=e^{F+b}\operatorname{det}\left(\omega^{n-1}\right)\\ &\omega_0^{n-1}+\sqrt{-1}\partial\bar{\partial}u\wedge \omega^{n-2}>0, \ \ \sup_Mu=0. \end{aligned} \tag{MA1} \] As a consequence the authors obtain Calabi-Yau theorems for Gauduchon and strongly Gauduchon metrics on a class of non-Kähler manifolds, i.e., manifolds satisfying the Jost-Yau condition, known as Astheno-Kähler. Let \(M\) be a compact complex manifold equipped with an Astheno-Kähler metric \(\omega\). Let \(\omega_0\) be a Gauduchon (resp. strongly Gauduchon) metric on \(M\) and let \(F'\) be a smooth function on \(M\). Then there exist a unique constant \(b'\) and a unique Gauduchon (resp. strongly Gauduchon) metric \(\omega_u\) with \[ \omega_u^{n-1}=\omega_0^{n-1}+\sqrt{-1}\partial\bar{\partial}u\wedge \omega^{n-2} \] for some smooth function \(u\) solving the Calabi-Yau equation \[ \omega_u^n=e^{F'+b'}\omega^n. \] \textit{P. Gauduchon} [Math. Ann. 267, 495--518 (1984; Zbl 0523.53059)] made the following conjecture. Let \(\psi\) be a closed real \((1,1)\)-form on \(M\) with \([\psi]=c_1^{BC}(M)\) in \(H_{BC}^{1,1}(M,\mathbb R)\). Then there exists a Gauduchon metric \(\tilde \omega\) on \(M\) with \(\operatorname{Ric}(\tilde \omega)=\psi\). The authors prove that the Gauduchon conjecture holds on compact complex manifolds equipped with an Astheno-Kähler metric. Finally, the authors consider the following modification of the Monge-Ampère equation (MA1). Let \(\omega_0\) ba a Hermitian metric and let \(\omega\) be a Gauduchon metric. Consider the following \((n-1,n-1)\)-form \[ \Psi_u=\omega_0^{n-1}+\sqrt{-1}\partial\bar{\partial}u\wedge\omega^{n-2}+\operatorname{Re}\left(\sqrt{-1}\partial u\wedge\bar{\partial}\left(\omega^{n-2}\right)\right). \] The authors pose the following conjecture (Conjecture 1.5). Let \(M\) be a compact complex manifold with a Hermitian metric \(\omega_0\) and a Gauduchon metric \(\omega\). Let \(F\) be a smooth function. Then there exist a unique smooth function \(u\) on \(M\) and a unique constant \(b\) such that \[ \begin{aligned} &\operatorname{det}\left(\Psi_u\right)=e^{F+b}\operatorname{det}\left(\omega^{n-1}\right)\\ &\Psi_u>0, \ \ \sup_Mu=0. \end{aligned} \tag{MA2} \] The authors prove that this conjecture would imply the Gauduchon conjecture. Moreover, they prove that Conjecture 1.5 can be reduced to an a prori second-order estimate. Namely, let \(u\) be a solution of (MA2). If there exists a uniform constant \(C\) depending only on \(\omega\), \(\omega_0\) and \(F\) such that \[ \Delta u\leq C\left(\sup_M|\nabla u|^2+1\right) \] then Conjecture 1.5 holds.