Examples of K-unstable Fano manifolds (Q2673861)

A Fano manifold \(X\) is said to be Kähler-Einstein if it admits a Kähler metric \(\omega \in c_1(X)\) such that \(\mathrm{Ric}(\omega) = \omega\), where \(\mathrm{Ric}(\omega)\) is the Ricci form of \(\omega\). The article is motivated by the following three questions: \begin{itemize} \item[1.] When does a Fano manifold admit a Kähler-Einstein metric? \item[2.] How can the failure of a Fano manifold to admit a Kähler-Einstein metric be measured? \item[3.] Which alternative canonical metrics can be defined on a Fano manifold? \end{itemize} The article studies examples of horosymmetric Fano manifolds given by blow-ups of quadrics along linear subquadrics and homogeneous \(\mathbb{P}^1\)-bundles over rational homogeneous manifolds. The alternative canonical metrics considered are Kähler-Ricci solitons, multiplier Hermitian structures [\textit{T. Mabuchi}, Nagoya Math. J. 170, 73--115 (2003; Zbl 1049.53051)] and coupled Kähler-Einstein metrics [\textit{J. Hultgren} and \textit{D. Witt Nyström}, Int. Math. Res. Not. 2019, No. 21, 6765--6796 (2019; Zbl 1429.32038)]. Paraphrasing slightly, the main results of the article are: \begin{itemize} \item[1.] (Theorem 1.2) If \(Q^n\) is a quadric of dimension \(n\) and \(Q^k\) is linear subquadric of \(Q^n\) of dimension \(k\). Then, for \(2 \leq k \leq n-3\), the blow-up \(\mathrm{Bl}_{Q^k}(Q^n)\) of \(Q^k\) is \(K\)-unstable and does not admit a Kähler-Ricci soliton. In other cases, \(\mathrm{Bl}_{Q^k}(Q^n)\) is Kähler-Einstein. \item[2.] (Theorem 1.4) For \(k\) sufficiently large, the blow-up \(\mathrm{Bl}_{\mathbb{P}^{k-1}, \mathbb{P}^k} \mathbb{P}^{2k+1}\) admits pairs of coupled Kähler-Einstein metrics but no Kähler-Einstein metrics. \item[3.] (Theorem 1.6) If \(X\) is a Fano homogeneous \(\mathbb{P}^1\)-bundle over a rational homogeneous manifold \(G/P\), for a reductive group \(G\) and a parabolic subgroup \(P \subset G\), then \(X\) both admits Kähler-Ricci solitons and multiplier Hermitian structures. \end{itemize} Each of the results are proved by exploiting the horosymmetric structure of the Fano manifold \(X\) and the results of \textit{T. Delcroix} and \textit{J. Hultgren} [J. Math. Pures Appl. (9) 153, 281--315 (2021; Zbl 1490.53087)] to obtain statements involving the combinatorics of polytopes.