Exact \(\mathrm{G}_2\)-structures on compact quotients of Lie groups (Q2687961)

A \(\mathrm{G}_2\)-structure on a 7-manifold \(M\) is a reduction of the structure group of its frame bundle from the linear group \(\mathrm{GL}(7,\mathbb{R})\) to the compact exceptional Lie group \(\mathrm{G}_2\). Many examples of compact manifolds admitting closed \(\mathrm{G}_2\)-structures are knwon, however, it is still not known whether exact \(\mathrm{G}_2\)-structures may occur on compact 7-manifolds. M. Fernández and the first and third named author of this paper have made contributions on this questions. In the present paper the authors investigate the existence of invariant exact \(\mathrm{G}_2\)-structures on compact quotients of Lie groups, without considering any extra assumption on the properties of the group. The main result is the following: A compact 7-manifold \(M\) with an exact \(\mathrm{G}_2\)-structure cannot be of the form \(M = \Gamma \setminus G\), where \(G\) is a seven-dimensional simply connected Lie group, \(\Gamma\subset G\) is a cocompact discrete subgroup, and the exact \(\mathrm{G}_2\)-structure on \(M\) is invariant. The proof is divided in two cases \(G\) non solvable and solvable.