On the real theory of four-dimensional conformal structures (Q2365160)

The author studies the differential geometry of conformal structures on four-dimensional differentiable manifolds. He considers the real theory of such structures. From the real point of view, there are three essentially different types of conformal structures: structures of signatures \((4, 0), (1, 3)\), and \((2, 2)\). The first of them, denoted by \(CO (4)\), are called properly conformal; the second, denoted by \(CO (1, 3)\), are called the structures of Lorentzian type, and the third, denoted by \(CO (2, 2)\), are called ultrahyperbolic. The structures of all three types play an important role in theoretical physics, general relativity, and the theory of superstrings. The author simultaneously studies all these three structures on four-dimensional differentiable manifolds, finds their common properties and the differences among them, and transfers properties obtained for one of them to the others. A conformal structure on a manifold \(M\) is defined by means of a relatively invariant nondegenerate quadratic form \(g (\xi, \xi)\) where \(\xi \in T_x (M), x\in M\). The equation \(g (\xi, \xi) = 0\) defines on \(M\) a foliation of isotropic cones \(C_x, C_x \subset T_x (M)\), also called the light cones. If \(n = 4\), the cones \(C_x\) carry two families of two-dimensional flat generators which are real for \(CO (2, 2)\)-structures and complex for \(CO (4)\)- and \(CO (2, 2)\)-structures. For the last two cases, the cones \(C_x\) and their flat generators are considered in the complexified space \({\mathbb{C}}T_x (M)\). For all three cases the flat generators of the cones \(C_x\) define two fiber bundles \(E_\alpha\) and \(E_\beta\) with the common base \(M\). These fiber bundles are real for \(CO (2, 2)\)-structures, complex conjugate for \(CO (1, 3)\)-structures and self-conjugate for \(CO (4)\)-structures. The fiber bundles \(E_\alpha\) and \(E_\beta\) are also called the twistor fiber bundles. Next, on a manifold \(M\) carrying a conformal structure, the author considers the normal conformal Cartan connection. The curvature tensor \(C\) of this connection coincides with the Weyl tensor determined by any Riemannian structure compatible with the conformal structure under consideration. If \(\dim M = 4\), then the tensor \(C\) of conformal curvature splits into two subtensors, \(C = C_\alpha + C_\beta\). For \(CO (2, 2)\)-structures these two subtensors are real, for \(CO (1, 3)\)-structures they are complex conjugate, \(C_\beta = \overline{C}_\alpha\), and for \(CO (4)\)-structures they are self-conjugate, \(\overline{C}_\alpha = C_\alpha, \overline{C}_\beta = C_\beta\). The system \(\Theta\) of forms of conformal curvature of a 4-manifold \(M\) splits also into two subsystems \(\Theta_\alpha\) and \(\Theta_\beta\) connected by the same relations as the subtensors \(C_\alpha\) and \(C_\beta\). These forms belong to the eigensubspaces of a conformally invariant Hodge operator \(h\) defined on \(M\). The author computes the components of the Hodge operator with respect to an isotropic frame in which the quadratic form \(g\) defining a conformal structure on \(M\) is reduced to the form \(g = 2 (\xi^1 \xi^4 - \xi^2 \xi^3)\). A conformal structure \(CO (p, q)\) on a manifold \(M\) is called conformally flat if its tensor of conformal curvature vanishes. In this case the manifold \(M\) carrying the \(CO (p, q)\)-structure admits a mapping onto a pseudoconformal space \(C^n_q, n = p + q\), of signature \((p, q)\). If for \(n = 4\) only one of the subtensors \(C_\alpha\) and \(C_\beta\), into which the tensor \(C\) splits, vanishes, then the structure is called semiflat. For a semiflat \(CO (2, 2)\)-structure one of two real distributions \(E_\alpha\) and \(E_\beta\) admits a three-parameter family of two-dimensional integral surfaces \(V_\alpha\) and \(V_\beta\). For a \(CO (1, 3)\)-structure either both subtensors \(C_\alpha\) and \(C_\beta\) are different from 0, or both of them are 0. Thus there exist no proper semiflat \(CO (1, 3)\)-structures. Note that semiflat \(CO (4)\)-structures were considered in [\textit{M. F. Atiyah, N. J. Hitchin} and \textit{I. M. Singer}, Proc. R. Soc. Lond., Ser. A 362, 425-461 (1978; Zbl 0389.53011)]. In this paper they are called auto-dual or anti-auto-dual. Finally, on a manifold \(M^4\) endowed with a conformal structure the author considers a bivector quadratic form \(C (p)\) which defines the sectional conformal curvature of the structure. This form also splits into two terms. The first term defines the sectional curvature on the fiber bundle \(E_\alpha\), and the second one on \(E_\beta\). In the isotropic frame each of these terms is reduced to fourth-degree polynomials \(C_\alpha (\lambda)\) and \(C_\beta (\mu)\). The coefficients of these polynomials are the components of subtensors \(C_\alpha\) and \(C_\beta\). If a structure is semiflat, then one of these polynomials vanishes. If a structure is not semiflat, then the roots of each of these polynomials define on fiber bundles \(E_\alpha\) and \(E_\beta\) the principal isotropic distributions. For \(CO (2, 2)\)-structures the author finds sufficient conditions for integrability of these principal distributions. For \(CO (1, 3)\)-structures we have \(C_\beta (\mu) = \overline{C}_\alpha (\overline{\mu})\). The author connects the structure of the polynomials \(C_\alpha (\lambda)\) and \(C_\beta (\mu)\) with Petrov's classification of Einstein spaces.