Positive and negative 3-K-contact structures (Q4510070)

Let \((g,\eta_i,\xi_i, \varphi_i)\), \(i=1,2,3\), be three distinct \(K\)-contact structures on a manifold \(P\) such that \(g(\xi_i,\xi_j)= \delta_{i j}\), \([\xi_i, \xi_j]= 2\varepsilon_{ijk} \xi_k\), \(\varphi_i\xi_j=-\varepsilon_{ ijk} \xi_k\). \((g,\eta_i, \xi_k, \varphi_i)\), \(i=1,2,3\), is called a positive (respectively negative) 3-\(K\)-contact structure if (for \(i\neq j)\), \(J_i J_j= \varepsilon_{ijk} J_k\) (respectively \(J_iJ_j=-\varepsilon_{ijk} J_k)\), where \(J_i=\varphi_i |_H\) and \(H=\cap \text{ker} \eta_i\). Such a manifold has dimension \(4n+3\), moreover the positive 3-\(K\)-contact structures are the usual \(K\)-contact 3-structures. In this paper the author proves that if \(n\neq 2\), then (a) every \(K\)-contact 3-structure is 3-Sasakian; (b) the Ricci tensor \(\rho\) of every negative 3-\(K\)-contact structure has two constant eigenvalues and satisfies \(\nabla_X \rho(X,X) =0\) for all local vector fields \(X\) on \(P\). Remark of the Reviewer: \textit{T. Kashiwada} [``On a contact 3-structure'', preprint (2000)] recently proved the result that every contact metric 3-structure is 3-Sasakian.