A step towards the Alekseevskii conjecture (Q2396221)

The problem in the study of Riemannian homogeneous spaces is the classification of non-compact Einstein spaces. In [Mat. Sb., N. Ser. 96(138), 93--117 (1975; Zbl 0309.53037)], \textit{D.~V.~Alekseevskii} conjectured that any non-compact, homogeneous, Einstein space of negative scalar curvature is diffeomorphic to \(\mathbb R^n\), that is, for any homogeneous Einstein space \(G/K\) with negative scalar curvature, \(K\) must be a maximal compact subgroup of \(G\). The stronger version of this conjecture states that if a simply-connected group \(G\) with Levi decomposition \(G=G_1\ltimes G_2\), where \(G_1=G_cG_{nc}\) is semi-simple and \(G_2\) is the solvable radical, and \(G/K\) is endowed with a \(G\)-invariant Einstein metric with negative scalar curvature, then, up to conjugation of \(K\) in \(G\), \(G_c<K\) and \(K_{nc}<K\), where \(G_c\) is a compact factor and \(K_{nc}\) is a closed subgroup of \(G_{nc}\). In this paper, the authors refine existing structure results for non-compact, homogeneous, Einstein manifolds and provide a reduction in the classification problem of such spaces. They prove that if \(G/K\) is a homogeneous space endowed with a \(G\)-invariant Einstein metric of negative scalar curvature, then \(G_c<K\), up to conjugation. The authors also prove that if \(G/K\) is a simply-connected, homogeneous, Einstein space of negative scalar curvature, then the transitive group \(G\) can be chosen to satisfy (i)\,\(G_1=G_{nc}\) has no compact, normal subgroups, (ii)\, \(K<G_1\), and (iii)\, the radical decomposes as \(G_2=AN\), where the nilradical \(N\) with the induced left-invariant metric is nilsoliton, \(A\) is an abelian group, and \(\roman{Ad}(\mathfrak{a})\) acts by symmetric endomorphisms relative to the nilsoliton metric on \(\mathfrak{n}\).