On sectional curvature of Boggino-Damek-Ricci type spaces (Q5930113)

Let \(\{{\mathfrak n},( ,)_{\mathfrak n}\}\) be a 2-step nilpotent metric Lie algebra, \(z\) its center and \(v\) the orthogonal complement of \(z\). Let \(a=\mathbb{R} A\) be a one-dimensional real vector space. For \(k>0\) one defines an action \(f\) of \(a\) on \({\mathfrak n}\) by \(f(A)V=kV/2\), \(f(A)Z=kZ\), \(V\in v\), \(Z\in z\). The semi-direct product \(s_k(A;{\mathfrak n})={\mathfrak n}\times _fa\) with the inner product \((X+\lambda A\), \(Y+\mu A)=(X,Y)_{\mathfrak n}+\lambda \mu\), \(X\in{\mathfrak n}\), \(\lambda, \mu\in \mathbb{R}\) forms a solvable metric Lie algebra, the induced simply connected Lie group \((S_k(A,{\mathfrak n}),g)\) is called a BDR-type space. In this paper one considers a special BDR-type space whose nilpotent algebra is of echelon type, i.e., \({\mathfrak n}={\mathfrak n}(n,m,l;K)= {\mathfrak g}_1(\mathbb{K})+ {\mathfrak g}_2 (\mathbb{K})\) is a 2-step nilpotent part of graded Lie algebra \({\mathfrak sl}(n+m+l;K)= \sum^2_{i=-2} {\mathfrak g}_i(\mathbb{K})\). Using various geometric properties of the coadjoint action \(j(Z)X= (ad X)^*Z\) of a nilpotent algebra, the author proves that the BDR-type space \(S_k(A,{\mathfrak n}(n,m,l, \mathbb{K}),g)\) has non-positive sectional curvature if and only if \(k\geq 1/ \sqrt 2\) for \(k=\mathbb{R}\) (resp., \(k\geq 1\), for \(k=\mathbb{C})\).