On the geodesic problem for the Dirichlet metric and the Ebin metric on the space of Sasakian metrics (Q323974)

Let \((M, \omega )\) be a compact Kähler manifold with Kähler form \(\omega\) and \( \mathcal{H} \) the space of Kähler metrics with Kähler class \([\omega]\). There are three Riemannian metrics in the manifold \(\mathcal H\): the Donaldson-Mabuchi-Semmes \(L^2\)-metric, the Calabi metric and the Dirichlet (or gradient) metric. The authors consider the combination metric which is a linear combination of these three metrics. They define the Levi-Civita covariant derivative and solve the initial value problem for the geodesic equation of the combination metric, including the gradient metric. Also a Rauch-type comparison theorem of the Jacobi fields between the gradient metric and the Calabi metric is proven. At the end, the authors establish the following relation between the Ebin metric, defined on the manifold \(\mathcal{M}\) of Riemannian metric on a compact Riemannian manifold \(M\) and the sum metric, defined as the sum of the Calabi metric and the gradient metric on the manifolds of Sasaki metrics \(\mathcal{S}\) on a Sasaki manifold: The restriction of the Ebin metric to the manifold \(\mathcal{S}\) of Sasaki metrics on a Sasaki manifold is the sum metric.