Lorentz geometry of 4-dimensional nilpotent Lie groups (Q2516421)

The object of the paper is the study of Lorentz geometry of 4-dimensional Lie groups. Twenty years after Milnor's classification of 3-dimensional Lie groups with left-invariant positive definite metric, Lorentz classification has been started. In [J. Geom. Phys. 9, No. 3, 295--302 (1992; Zbl 0752.53036)], \textit{S. Rahmani} has shown the differences between positive definite and pseudo-Riemannian setting. In the present paper, the authors classify left-invariant Lorentz metrics on 4-dimensional nilpotent Lie groups \(H_3\times \mathbb R\) and \(G_4\). They obtain much more metrics in the positive definite case. Next, they calculate curvature tensors and holonomy groups of the metrics. It is proved that some of the metrics have parallel null vector, but are not decomposable. Finally, projective classes of the metrics are investigated. In conclusion, the results are deep and very interesting.