Geometric realizations of para-Hermitian curvature models (Q2655728)

Let \((M,g, \mathcal{J})\) be a para-Hermitian manifold, that is \((M,g)\) is a pseudo-Riemannian manifold of dimension \(2n\), \(\mathcal{J}\) an almost product structure on \(M\) (i.e., \(\mathcal{J}^2=\text{id}\)) such that \(\mathcal{J}^*g=-g\) and \(\mathcal{J}\) is integrable (i.e., the Nijenhuis tensor associated to \(\mathcal{J}\) vanishes). Under these assumptions, necessarily \(g\) has neutral signature \((n,n)\). The Riemann curvature tensor \(R\) of the Lévi-Civita connection satisfies the standard identities. The authors show that there is an additional identity, which is called the para-Gray identity (for the Hermitian setting, see [\textit{A. Gray}, Tohoku Math. J., II. Ser. 28, 601--612 (1976; Zbl 0351.53040)]): \[ \begin{multlined} R(X_1,X_2,X_3,X_4)+R(\mathcal{J}(X_1),\mathcal{J}(X_2), \mathcal{J}(X_3),\mathcal{J}(X_4))+ R(\mathcal{J}(X_1),\mathcal{J}(X_2),X_3,X_4)\\ + R(\mathcal{J}(X_1),X_2,\mathcal{J}(X_3),X_4) + R(\mathcal{J}(X_1),X_2,X_3,\mathcal{J}(X_4)) + R(X_1,\mathcal{J}(X_2),\mathcal{J}(X_3),X_4)\\ + R(X_1,\mathcal{J}(X_2),X_3,\mathcal{J}(X_4)) + R(X_1,X_2,\mathcal{J}(X_3),\mathcal{J}(X_4))=0,\end{multlined} \] \(X_j\in\mathfrak{X}(M),\;j=1,2,3,4\). In the algebraic setting, let \(\langle\cdot, \cdot\rangle\) be a neutral signature inner product on a real vector space \(V\) of dimension \(2n\). Let \(J\) be a para-Hermitian structure on \((V,\langle\cdot, \cdot\rangle)\), i.e., \(J^2=\text{id}\) and \(J^* \langle\cdot, \cdot\rangle= -\langle\cdot, \cdot\rangle\). If \(A\in \otimes^4 V^*\) is an algebraic curvature tensor, i.e., \(A\) satisfies the standard identities, let \(\mathfrak{C}:=(V,\langle\cdot, \cdot\rangle, J,A)\) be the associated para-Hermitian curvature model. One says that \(\mathfrak{C}\) is geometrically realized by a para-Hermitian manifold \((M,g,J)\) if there is an isomorphism \(\varphi:V\to T_xM\) for some \(x\in M\) so that \(\varphi^*g_x=\langle\cdot, \cdot\rangle\), \(\varphi^*\mathcal{J}_x=J\), and \(\varphi^* R_x=A\). The main new result of this paper is that \(\mathfrak{C}\) is geometrically realized by a para-Hermitian manifold if and only if \(A\) satisfies the corresponding para-Gray identity. Moreover, the geometric realization can be chosen to have constant scalar curvature and constant \(*\)-scalar curvature. The authors' proof requires extending \textit{F. Tricerri} and \textit{L. Vanhecke}'s [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 267, 365--398 (1981; Zbl 0484.53014)] decomposition of the space of algebraic curvature tensors in the Hermitian setting to the para-Hermitian setting, a result that is of interest in its own right.