Edges, orbifolds, and Seiberg-Witten theory (Q500081)

The author is a well-known researcher on Einstein metrics [\textit{C. LeBrun}, Math. Res. Lett. 2, No. 1, 1--8 (1995; Zbl 0974.53035); Math. Res. Lett. 3, No. 2, 133--147 (1996; Zbl 0856.53035); in: Surveys in differential geometry. Vol. VIII: Lectures on geometry and topology held in honor of Calabi, Lawson, Siu, and Uhlenbeck at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA, May 3--5, 2002. Somerville, MA: International Press. 235--255 (2003; Zbl 1051.53038); Ann. Global Anal. Geom. 28, No. 2, 157--177 (2005; Zbl 1082.53042)] and on the Seiberg-Witten theory [Invent. Math. 145, No. 2, 279--316 (2001; Zbl 0999.53027)]. In the present paper the Seiberg-Witten theory is used to obtain new obstructions to the existence of Einstein metrics on 4-manifolds with canonical singularities along an embedding surface. More precisely, the main result refers to Einstein edge-cone metrics. The edge-cone metrics for a pair \((M,\Sigma)\) , with \(M\) a smooth compact 4-manifold and \(\Sigma\) a smoothly embedded compact surface, was recently defined by \textit{M. Atiyah} and the author [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 155, No. 1, 13--37 (2013; Zbl 1273.53041)]. An edge-cone metric \(g\) on \((M,\Sigma)\) is said to be Einstein if it has constant Ricci curvature on the complement of \(\Sigma\). The main result of the paper is the following: {Theorem A.} Let \(X\) be a smooth oriented 4-manifold, and let \( \Sigma\subset X\) be a smooth compact oriented embedded surface. Fix some integer \(p\geq 2\), and set \(\beta=1/p\). Suppose that \(X\) admits a symplectic form \(\omega_0\) for which \(\Sigma\) is a symplectic submanifold, and such that \[ (c_1(X)+(\beta-1)[\Sigma]).[\omega_0]<0\eqno{(3)} \] where \([\omega_0]\), \(c_1(X)\), \([\Sigma]\in H^2(X)\) are respectively the de Rham class of \(\omega_0\), the first Chern class of \((X,\omega_0)\), and the Poincaré dual of \(\Sigma\). Choose a non-negative integer \(\ell\) for all such that \[ \ell\geq \frac{1}{3}(c_1(X)+(\beta-1)[\Sigma])^2 \eqno{(4)} \] let \(M\approx X\#\ell \overline{\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}}_2 \) be the manifold obtained by blowing \(X\) up at \(\ell \) points of \(X-\Sigma\), and notice that \(\Sigma\) can be also be viewed as a submanifold of \(M\). Then \((M,\Sigma)\) does not carry any Einstein edge-cone metrics of cone angle \(2\pi\beta\). The author remarks that the condition (3) automatically holds whenever \(X\) is not a blow-up of \(\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}_2\) or some ruled surface. But even in these exceptional cases, the condition (3) will still hold whenever \(\Sigma\subset X\) has sufficiently high degree with respect to \([\omega_0]\). To illustrate Theorem A the author gives two examples. Let \(X\subset \mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}_3\) be a quadric surface, let \(Y\subset \mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}_3\) be a cubic surface which meets \(X\) transversely, and let \(\Sigma=X\cap Y\) be the genus 4 curve in which they intersect. Let \(M\approx X\# \overline{\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}}_2\) be the blow-up of \(X\) at a point not belonging to \(\Sigma\) . Then for all \(\beta=1/p,p\geq 2\), there exist no Einstein edge-cone metrics on \((M,\Sigma)\) of cone angle \(2\pi\beta\). Also, if \(M'\approx Y\# \mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}_2\) is obtained by blowing up \(Y\) at a point not belonging to \(\Sigma\), then there exist no Einstein edge-cone metrics on \((M',\Sigma)\) of cone angle \(2\pi\beta\). The proof of Theorem A uses the following Proposition 1.1 inspired, as the author says, by a very recent work of \textit{X. Chen} et al. [J. Am. Math. Soc. 28, No. 1, 235--278 (2015; Zbl 1311.53059)]: {Proposition 1.1.} Let \(g\) be an Einstein edge-cone metric on \((M,\Sigma)\) of cone angle \(2\pi\beta\), where \(\beta=1/p \) for some positive integer \(p\). Then \(g\) naturally extends to \((M,\Sigma,\beta)\) as an orbifold Einstein metric. At the end of the paper, as an application, the author proves a new generalization of the Miyaoka-Yau inequality for Einstein 4-manifolds [\textit{S.-T. Yau}, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74, 1798--1799 (1977; Zbl 0355.32028)]. Finally, the author suggests that it might be possible to generalize Theorem A such that the conclusion remains valid for more general edge-cone metrics.