On the compactness of the set of invariant Einstein metrics (Q2434954)

Let \(M=G/H\) be a connected and simply-connected homogeneous space where \(G\) is a compact Lie group and \(H\) a closed subgroup. It is an important, open problem to decide whether the set of \(G\)-invariant Einstein metrics on \(M\) is always finite. In this interesting paper, the author provides a new, algebraic approach to the result of \textit{C. Böhm} et al. [Geom. Funct. Anal. 14, No. 4, 681--733 (2004; Zbl 1068.53029)] that the set of invariant Einstein metrics on \(M\), normalized to have total volume~\(1\), is compact, in the special case that the isotropy representation of \(H\) on \(\mathfrak g/\mathfrak h\) is multiplicity free (that is, irreducible components are mutually non-equivalent). The main idea of the proof is to study a compactification \(N\) of the set of invariant metrics with total volume~\(1\) via a suitable notion of moment map. The Einstein condition is then extended to the boundary \(\partial N\), whose points are geometrically realized as non-complete locally homogeneous spaces, and an argument based on the Alekseevsky-Kimel'fel'd theorem [\textit{D. V. Alekseevskii} and \textit{B. N. Kimel'fel'd}, Funct. Anal. Appl. 9, 97--102 (1975); translation from Funkts. Anal. Prilozh. 9, No. 2, 5--11 (1975; Zbl 0316.53041)] shows that Einstein metrics in \(\partial N\) are flat and form an open subset of the set of all Einstein metrics in \(N\).