No label defined (Q4339639)

Torse forming vector fields were defined by \textit{K. Yano} [Proc. Imp. Acad. Tokyo 20, 340-345 (1944; Zbl 0060.39102)] and studied by \textit{M. Petrović}, \textit{R. Roşca} and \textit{L. Verstraelen} [Soochow J. Math. 15, 179-187 (1989; Zbl 0692.53004)], \textit{C. Udrişte} [Tensor, New Ser. 42, 137-144 (1985; Zbl 0589.53045)], \textit{D. Naitza} and \textit{I. Mihai} [Bull. Math. Soc. Sci. Math. Roum., in press], etc. Let \((M,g)\) be a Riemannian manifold and \(\nabla\) the Levi-Civita connection. The gradient almost torse forming vector field \(X\) is introduced in this paper by the relation \[ \nabla X= fdp+ X^\flat \otimes U+ U^\flat \otimes X, \] where \(f\in C^\infty(M)\), and \(X^\flat\), \(U^\flat\) are respectively the 1-forms associated to the \(C^\infty\) vector fields \(X\), \(U\) via the metric \(g\). The authors prove that the existence of a such a vector field is determined by an exterior differential system in Cartan involution. Also, they find interesting and deep properties of manifolds supporting gradient almost torse forming vector fields.