On the classification of 4-dimensional \((m,\rho )\)-quasi-Einstein manifolds with harmonic Weyl curvature (Q2357791)

A generalized quasi-Einstein manifold [\textit{G. Catino}, Math. Z. 271, No. 3--4, 751--756 (2012; Zbl 1246.53040)] is a Riemannian manifold \((M^n, g)\) such that there are smooth functions \(f, \mu, \lambda\) on \((M^n, g)\) satisfying \[ \mathrm{Ric} + \nabla df - \mu df \otimes df = \lambda g. \] The author in the paper under review considers a subclass of generalized quasi-Einstein manifolds, the \((m, \rho)\) quasi-Einstein manifolds. A \((m, \rho)\) quasi-Einstein manifold is a Riemannian manifold \((M^n, g)\) such that there is a smooth function \(f\) on \((M^n, g)\) and real constants \(m, \rho, \lambda\) with \(m \notin \{0, \pm \infty\}\) satisfying \[ \mathrm{Ric} + \nabla df - \frac{1}{m} df \otimes df = (\rho R + \lambda) g \] where \(\mathrm{Ric}\) and \(R\) denote the Ricci curvature and the scalar curvature of \((M^n, g)\), respectively. The main result of the paper consists of a local classification result for four-dimensional \((m, \rho)\) quasi-Einstein manifolds. Namely, assuming the harmonic Weyl curvature condition, the Einstein metric reduces locally to other familiar classes of metrics. Another classification result for the case of compact \((m, \rho)\) quasi-Einstein manifolds, assuming the flatness of the Bach tensor, is contained in [\textit{G. Huang} and \textit{Y. Wei}, Ann. Global Anal. Geom. 44, No. 3, 269--282 (2013; Zbl 1285.53028)]. Briefly, the main result of the paper under review states: Given a four-dimensional \((m, \rho)\) quasi-Einstein manifold \(M\) with quasi-Einstein metric \(g\) with harmonic Weyl curvature and \(m \notin \{\pm 1, -2\}\) as well as \(\rho \notin \left\{\frac{1}{4}, \frac{1}{6}\right\}\) then \(g\) is locally isometric to one of the following: {\parindent=0.7cm\begin{itemize}\item[(i)] \(\mathcal{B}_{\frac{R}{2(m+2)}}^2 \times \mathbb{N}_{\frac{R(m+1)}{2(m+2)}}^2\), where \(\mathcal{B}_{\frac{R}{2(m+2)}}^2\) is the northern hemisphere in the two-dimensional \((2D)\) sphere \(\mathcal{S}_{\frac{R}{2(m+2)}}^2\), \(\mathbb{N}_{\delta}\) is a \(2D\) Riemannian manifold with constant curvature \(\delta\), and \(R\) is the constant scalar curvature of \(g\). \item[(ii)] \(\mathcal{D}_{\frac{R}{2(m+2)}}^2 \times \mathbb{N}_{\frac{R(m+1)}{2(m+2)}}^2\) where \(\mathcal{D}_{\frac{R}{2(m+2)}}^2\) is half (cut by a hyperbolic line) of the hyperbolic plane \(\mathbb{H}_{\frac{R}{2(m+2)}}^2\). \item[(iii)] \(\mathbb{H}_{\frac{R}{2(m+2)}}^2 \times \mathbb{N}_{\frac{R(m+1)}{2(m+2)}}^2\). \item[(iv)] A certain singular metric with \(\rho = 0\). \item[(v)] A locally conformal flat metric. \end{itemize}}