Characters of automorphism groups associated with Kähler classes and functionals with cocycle conditions (Q5940252)

If \(M\) is a compact complex manifold which admits a Kähler Einstein metric, then \(c_1(M)\) is either positive, or negative or zero. Conversely, if \(M\) is a compact Kähler manifold for which \(c_1(M)\) is negative or zero, then \(M\) admits a Kähler Einstein metric. In contrast, not all compact Kähler manifolds with \(c_1(M)>0\) admit Kähler-Einstein metrics. The first obstruction to the existence of such a metric was found by Matsushima who proved that the Lie algebra \(h(M)\) of all holomorphic vector fields on \(M\) must be reductive in order to permit the existence of a Kähler-Einstein metric [\textit{Y. Matsushima}, Nagoya Math. J. 11, 145-150 (1957; Zbl 0091.34803)]. Futaki constructed a character on \(h(M)\) which must vanish on a Kähler Einstein manifold [\textit{A. Futaki}, Invent. Math. 73, 437-443 (1983; Zbl 0514.53054)]. Subsequently, a number of different necessary or sufficient conditions have been developed by different authors, including the ``\(K\)-energy'' of \textit{Sh. Bando} and \textit{T. Mabuchi} [Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 10, 11-40 (1987; Zbl 0641.53065)] and the ``Ding functional'' [see \textit{W. Ding}, Math. Ann. 282, 463-471 (1988; Zbl 0661.53045)]. In the article under review, the authors present a general construction for a family of functionals which includes both the ``K-energy'' and the ``Ding functional''.